Et Eques Reginae
by vampireXgirl13X
Summary: This is the new & improved version of "To Where We Belong." Hope you all like it! - Christina was just curious about the odd stone she found in the park. Who knew that it would lead to all of THIS? Rated M for violence, language, & eventual explicit smut. SebastianXOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

New Hampshire; 2012

"Christina, focus on your work!"

I looked away from my computer screen and rolled my eyes at Mike.

"Uh, Mike?" I asked. "I'm done with my research, remember? Unlike you, who hasn't done much research at all."

His face reddened a bit. "Shut up," he said, turning his attention back to his computer screen.

I stuck my tongue out at him, then went back to reading Kuroshitsuji on my computer.

My name is Christina, and one thing about me that gets on people's nerves is that I'm always reading; and it's usually manga. I have bright moss green eyes, really pale skin, and wavy, dark brown hair that almost goes to my waist. I'm tall, and pretty thin, but I'm not anorexic or anything. Most people describe me as a spaz, weirdo, and anime/manga freak. However, others describe me as a gifted artist, kind listener, helpful friend, and a person who is extremely complicated to figure out.

My chemistry class was in the library doing research for our semester two project; mine was on the chemical makeup of tattoo ink. Since I had finished my research, I decided to read more of my favorite manga, Kuroshitsuji (translated as "Black Butler"). I loved that manga and anime with all of my being, even though the two are quite different in their setups. I hadn't gotten very far in either of them, though. I'd only read the first three chapters and watched the first two episodes.

I remember that it was a Tuesday, so after school, I had to walk to the Opera House for rehearsal at five-thirty. School got out at two-thirty, so I hung out at the town library, which was right next to the Opera House, until rehearsal. The walks were quite nice; the breeze was refreshing, and sometimes I would hang out at the town park. Since it was starting to get colder now, not many people were there, so I had the whole place to myself.

The rest of the school day passed slowly; I just couldn't wait to get back to the park! I had found something there that past Thursday, and it sparked my curiosity. It was a big, circular stone that had a pentacle etched onto it, along with some intertwining words in Latin and various symbols. While we were in the library for class, I'd checked out a Latin/English Dictionary so I could decipher some of the words. I knew some Latin, but those words were a bit confusing.

After school, I ran down to the park and went right to the stone. I brushed off the thin coat of snow that had fallen on it over the weekend and opened the Latin/English Dictionary. I got out a piece of paper and pencil so it would be easier to keep track of what I was translating, because there were a crap-load of words on that thing. I started translating . . . .

England; 1887

"Sebastian," said Ciel, "what is that?"

He was pointing at a large, circular stone that was slightly covered by weeds. Sebastian walked over to it and brushed the weeds off. Then, his eyes widened.

"Well?" asked Ciel impatiently. "What on earth is it?"

"Well, Master," replied Sebastian, "it appears to be a demon time portal."

Ciel's eyes narrowed in confusion. "A what?"

"A demon time portal, my lord," Sebastian repeated. "Demons use it to travel through time, but we can also use them for going to different locations all over the world in a matter of seconds."

"Huh," said Ciel, stepping closer to the stone. He the looked at Sebastian. "Can anyone use them?"

"No, my lord," answered Sebastian, bowing slightly. "Only those with demon blood in their veins can use it."

"Hmmm," said Ciel. He narrowed his eyes at Sebastian. "Have you ever used one?"

Sebastian chuckled a bit. "No, my lord," he replied. "Though I have been sorely tempted to at times, I have not yet used one." He paused. "I actually find them slightly distasteful."

"I grow bored of this," said Ciel, turning back towards the mansion. "Let's head back. I'm hungry, and I want to eat something sweet."

Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my lord."

New Hampshire; 2012

"Okay," I said to myself. "I think I've got it!"

I looked down at the piece of paper that I had written the translation on, and read it aloud, tracing the corresponding words on the stone.

" 'Through the darkness, never to see light, I commend my body into the primordial night. Through time I go forth, over leaps and bounds. By my enemies, I know I will never be found.' "

All of a sudden, everything fell away, and it went black as pitch. My stomach went up into my throat, and my mind was lost in the darkness. Then, I fell on something hard and I knew nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

England; 1887

As Sebastian and Ciel got to the edge of the garden, they heard a loud "WHOOSH!" They turned around and saw a beam of dark purple light coming from the demon time portal.

They ran back to it, and were shocked at what they saw: a girl, laying on the stone, her long, dark brown hair billowing around her. She had on clothes that they had never even seen before. For one, she was wearing a pair of some sort of trousers! That, and she had on a very puffy coat-like thing. She also had on black, high heeled boots of some kind. And she was wearing a necklace that had a pentacle dangling from it.

Ciel looked at Sebastian. "Is she a demon?" he asked.

Sebastian bent over the girl and picked her up as if she were a small child, though it was obvious she was in her late-teens. He looked at her face for a moment.

"No, Master," he said, carrying her over to Ciel, "she is not a full blooded demon."

Ciel looked up sharply at his butler. "Meaning that she is a hybrid of some sort? Is that even possible?"

"Yes, it is possible," answered Sebastian. "Have you not heard of the old legends that tell of very powerful humans? Like Heracles and Perseus?"

Ciel thought about that while he looked at the girl's unconscious form. He had to admit, she was actually quite pretty; her pale skin was like ivory, and her hair was a beautiful midnight brown.

"What shall we do with the girl, Master?" asked Sebastian, looking down at her. His thoughts on her mirrored Ciel's, only they went a bit farther; the smell of her blood, being part demon and part human, was both sweet and savory. He had never smelled anything like it before; it was so tempting, practically beckoning him towards the girl's presence.

"Put her in one of the guest rooms," Ciel replied, turning and walking towards the mansion once more. "Go to London and get her some clothes to wear. With what she has on now, she's really suspicious. Not to mention," he added, looking back at her, mainly her legs encased in her trousers, "quite conspicuous."

Sebastian followed his master's gaze and smirked. "I agree. Her legs are quite noticeable in those trousers."

Ciel's face reddened a bit, then he turned back around. "W-well, anyways, just . . . get her inside."

"Yes, my lord."

~ P.o.V Change - Christina ~

The first thing I heard was the sound of water being poured; then I smelled tea. I blinked my eyes open, and saw that I was in a room that was decorated in Victorian era furniture. I was lying in a canopy bed, and noticed that I'd had my clothes changed into a nightgown. I looked next to me, and my heart skipped a beat.

Oh. My. _GOD!_

Standing next to me, pouring tea, was none other than Sebastian Michaelis, the demon butler from Kuroshitsuji! If this was a dream, I didn't wanna wake up!

"Oh," he said, looking up. "You're awake."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, looking around. "Where am I?" I asked.

"I believe the better question would be 'when' and 'where'," said Sebastian, handing me a cup of tea. "My name is Sebastian, and I am the butler of this household."

"I'm Christina Rosenvlad." I looked at the tea and smelled it. "Chai?" I asked.

His eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Yes," he replied. "The young master thought it would be best for you. You hit your head quite hard when you fell."

I then put my hand up to my head and felt a bump about the size of an egg.

"Ow," I said, surprised. I took a sip of my tea and smiled as I swallowed. "Absolutely wonderful," I said, looking up at Sebastian and smiling.

He smiled. "Thank you."

I took another sip. "So," I said after I swallowed, "I should ask 'when' and 'where', huh? Okay. So, when and where am I?"

"England, 1887," he answered simply.

My jaw dropped. "WHAT?"

"You really didn't know?" Sebastian asked, looking a bit confused.

"Not at all," I said weakly, taking another sip of my tea.

"Hmm. That's interesting," he said, rubbing his chin. "Usually you have to know when and where you are going to use a demon time portal. And you have to have demon blood in you."

"So that was a demon time portal?" I asked, wondering when my dream had turned into a nightmare.

"Yes," he answered. Then, he looked at me carefully. "I'm surprised that you aren't questioning the existence of demons."

"How can I when there's one in front of me?" I asked, smirking. When he looked surprised, I grinned. "Yeah, I know what you are." Then, I sighed, lowering my head. "And I guess I now know what I am, too."

I had always been able to do . . . _odd_ things. I could see a person's spiritual energy (or 'aura', if you will) if I concentrated hard enough, and I could usually tell what a person was thinking. I could also see spirits and sense what they were feeling or trying to say; and I could help them cross over. I could also do weird things with the different elements as well. It always used to freak my mom out . . .

Sebastian looked a bit sympathetic, then I heard a knock on the door. Sebastian turned and went to open it, and in walked a navy-haired boy of about twelve with an eyepatch over his right eye; Ciel Phantomhive.

"Good. You're awake," he said, sitting in a chair by the bed that I hadn't noticed before. Had he been sitting with me every now and again when I was sleeping? "I'm Ciel Phantomhive, Earl of this Manor."

"I'm Christina Rosenvlad," I said. "Thank you for taking care of me." I smiled.

He flushed a little, then cleared his throat. "W-well, you did get hurt in my garden, so of course I'd at least make sure that you're okay."

Thinking back to my readings on Victorian era conduct, I took Ciel's left hand in mine and squeezed it slightly.

"Still, you could have left me there, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you didn't."

Ciel blushed and looked away. I released his hand and went back to drinking my tea. It had cooled down considerably, so I tilted it back and downed the rest in one go.

"So," I said, "since you both know that I'm from the future, you got any questions? There's loads I could tell you. Especially in the advancement of technology." They looked a bit bored at that, so I added, "Oh, and then there's the fact that anyone who is willing to pick up the right kind of book knows about the two of you."

That caught their attention. "What?" asked Ciel, eyes wide in surprise.

"Yeah," I said. "But most people just call it fiction, though, so you don't have to worry about it. This is far ahead of when we are now."

"What year did you come from?" asked Sebastian, still a little shocked.

"I came from good old 2012 in New Hampshire," I said.

"One hundred and thirty-five years from now?" said Ciel, looking like he was about to fall out of his chair. "And from the United States?"

"Yep, hence my lack of a British accent; I only slip into that when I'm angry," I said. "But I can tell you one thing, though: the crime rate hasn't gotten any better. If anything, it's gotten worse, and that just completely sucks."

I got out of bed and stretched out my arms and legs, a question tugging at the back of my mind.

"Hey, um, out of curiosity," I asked, blushing a bit, "who, uh, ch-changed my clothes . . . ?"

Ciel blushed along with me, but it was Sebastian who answered.

"I did," he said, "but do not worry; I kept my eyes closed." He smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"Uh, thanks," I said, trying not to be more awkward. I looked around. "Do you guys have anything that I can wear?"

"Yes," Ciel answered, his blush fading. "I had Sebastian go to London to get some more appropriate clothes for you."

"What was wrong with what I was wearing?" I asked. "It's what everyone wears in my time period. Inappropriate for my time period is, like, a girl who wears a skirt that only goes to mid-thigh. Now," I said, all serious, "that is something that NO ONE would ever catch me wearing, dead or alive." I shuddered. "Seriously, they look like whores. But, then again," I added, "one should dress according to one's personality." I grinned and laughed.

Sebastian was having a hard time not laughing, and Ciel just looked embarrassed and shocked.

"What?" I said. "It's true," I added, mumbling.

Sebastian recovered himself and went to the wardrobe on the far side of the room. He opened it up and pulled out a nice spring green dress with flair sleeves, a pair of brown, heelless boots, stockings, and a ribbon that matched the dress.

"Wow!" I said, clapping my hands. "That is sooo pretty! I love it!" I turned to Ciel and hugged him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, spinning him around.

"Hey!" he said, red in the face. "I can't breathe!"

I stopped spinning him and looked down at him, and saw that he was as red as a beet; it was probably because of the fact that his face was level with my boobs. I blushed a bit, letting him go.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "This is just the first time I've ever gotten something so beautiful!" I paused. "I hope it didn't cost a lot . . ."

"It doesn't matter," said Ciel, still a bit red in the face.

"Oh, but it does!" I said. "I'm gonna let you know right now that I seriously hate it when someone spends a lotta money on me. The money a person can save from buying a bargain can be used for things that are really needed."

Ciel just looked at me. "What?" I asked, starting to feel self-conscious. "I come from a really frugal upbringing."

"You are a very strange person, Miss Rosenvlad," he said, still looking at me. "How old are you?"

"I'm going to be eighteen on March nineteenth," I said. I saw the look on Ciel's face change when I said that, so I added, "Yeah, I know, I don't act my age. I nevah have. I either act way too old or way too young. It drives my mother crazy." I laughed, then sobered up. "Mama . . ."

"We will find a way for you to go back," said Ciel, walking to the door. "Don't worry about it. In the meantime, you will stay here as my guest. Sebastian, help her get dressed, then bring her downstairs. The guests will be coming soon."

"Yes, my lord," said Sebastian, bowing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The door closed, and I turned to Sebastian. "Guests?" I asked, raising a brow.

"The young master is having a bit of a get together with some of his associates," he answered, laying the dress on the bed.

When he began to take out the petticoats and the corset, I cringed. Then I said, "I can put on the petticoats and chemise myself, along with the dress, but I'll need your help with the corset and buttoning up the dress."

"Understood," he said, stepping away a bit and smirking.

I took the petticoats and chemise over to the folding screen. I took off the nightgown and tossed it over the top. I was thankful that Sebastian had at least left my undergarments and necklace on. I ditched my bra and started putting on the petticoats one by one, until all four of them were flouncing around me. I then put on the chemise and tied the strings at the top into a bow.

I stepped out from behind the screen and grabbed the corset off the bed. I unhooked the front of it, put it on, hooked it back up, then looked at Sebastian.

"Don't make it too tight," I said. "I'm skinny enough as it is, and I dun feel like being unconscious again."

Sebastian smirked. "Of course, my lady."

I turned around, thankful that he couldn't see my face. Inside my head, I was having a fangirl attack.

_He said my lady! Omigod, he said **MY LADY**!_

Then he started tightening the strings, so my little fairytale moment popped like a bubble. I had to hold onto the footboard of the bed to keep myself steady. I started gasping.

"That's tight enough, Sebastian," I panted, trying to catch my breath.

"Of course," he said. I felt him tie the strings, and I turned around when he was done.

"Now the dress," I said, exasperated. "You know, in my time, it doesn't take this long for a girl to get dressed. All we have to do is just throw on whatever we want to wear and go." I grabbed the dress.

"True," said Sebastian. "I have noticed that it does take a while for a woman to get dressed. However," he added, "you are actually quite fast."

I shrugged as I bunched up the dress to pull it over my head. "I've always been fast at doing stuff. I kinda have to be. I usually have to wake up at around quarter of six in the morning to get ready to go to school. But," I added, smiling, "I end up lazing about in bed until quarter past six. Then I have to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, get my little sister up, take care of the bed, and get my stuff together for school; and all of this has to be done before ten of seven, which is when I go outside to wait for my ride to school."

I pulled the dress down over my head and put my arms in the sleeves. I turned around to have Sebastian button it up.

As he did so, he said, "It sounds as though you have a busy schedule in the morning."

I snorted a laugh. "You have no idea," I said, then amended, "but, then again, yeah you do. You pretty much have to make sure that this entire mansion runs smoothly. I feel bad for you, man," I added, turning when he was done.

"It's what has to be done," he said, sitting me down on the bed and putting on my stockings and boots.

"True," I said. I looked at the ribbon. "I wonder what I should do with my hair."

"Leave that to me, my lady," said Sebastian, smiling like a Cheshire cat again. I felt myself blush a bit.

I sighed. "You know, when you smile like that, it's really unsettling," I said. "It's like a Cheshire cat, or like the cat that got not only the canary, but the fish, too."

Sebastian laughed, which was a beautiful sound to hear. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, really," I said, rising and going towards the vanity dresser and sitting in the stool that was there. "Plus, if you're not careful, you're gonna give some poor, defenseless girl the wrong idea. Heaven knows that you've probably already broken at least a dozen hearts unknowingly."

Sebastian laughed again. "Is that so?" he asked, working my hair into a single long braid down my back.

"Yes," I said, completely serious. "And in my time, there's a word to describe people like you. Sebastian, you are an insufferable and unconscious flirt." I punctuated the last remark by crossing my arms in an almost defiant way.

Sebastian was done with my braid and I turned around on the stool to look at him. He looked almost surprised, then he smiled like a Cheshire cat again. This time, though, I was prepared for it and restrained myself from blushing.

"Well, my lady," he said, "if I am, how you say, an 'insufferable and unconscious flirt', then so are you."

Now it was my turn to be surprised. "There's no way in hell that I'm as bad as you are. I mean, to be a good flirt, you actually have to be attractive, which I'm not. Therefore," I said, holding up a finger, "there is no way that I'm an insufferable and unconscious flirt."

Sebastian's eyes changed then; they turned from a reddish brown into a deep, glowing molten red color, with his pupils becoming like a cat's.

I showed no surprise, then I copied him, changing my eyes to how they go when I'm feeling a strong and intense emotion; they change like his, except they turn a bright, glowing fuschia. He seemed a bit startled, then spoke.

"Firstly," said Sebastian, "you flirt so well that you even made my young master blush like a little girl more than once. Secondly, do not say that you are not attractive, because, my lady, you are. So much so that even _I_ am having a hard time restraining myself. And I don't find just anybody attractive. The smell of your blood alone is driving me mad." He looked at my eyes and lifted my left wrist to his nose. "The fact that you have both human and demon blood in your veins makes you a rarity; you probably have no idea how tempting you are."

I snorted a laugh. "You make me sound like an endangered species that would make an elegant dinner," I said.

Sebastian heaved a frustrated sigh. Then, his eyes went back to normal and he stood me up. He placed my hand in the crook of his right elbow and led me to the door.

"The young master is calling me," he said. "Calm your eyes. He's telling me to bring you down."

I sighed, but did as I was told. As we walked down the long hallway, he whispered in my ear, "We'll continue our conversation later."

"Let me guess, whether I like it or not?" I whispered back.

Sebastian chuckled, but didn't answer.

We walked down the hallway a bit more, then we stopped in front of a door. I heard voices coming from inside, and I instantly picked out Ciel's. Then, Sebastian opened the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The door opened, and I almost had a heart attack; it was the exact same scene as in the second episode of Kuroshitsuji! I looked and saw Madame Red and Grell, Lau and Ran-Mao, Sir Randall (the head of Scotland Yard), and Azzurro Vanel, along with other people.

Ciel looked up and smiled slightly, but then it was gone. He couldn't show any emotion in front of these people, else he'd be seen as weak. I walked to his side and kept quiet for a moment. Sebastian went to stand at Ciel's other side.

"This is the girl I was talking about," said Ciel. Great. I was the topic of pool discussion.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Rosenvlad," said Azzurro, his voice thick with an Italian accent. He looked at me up and down. "I am Azzurro Vanel." He kissed my hand.

"Bongiorno," I said, dipping into a short curtsy. I put my hands beind my back, discreetly wiping the hand he'd kissed on the back of my dress and fighting a grimace. I heard Sebastian chuckle quietly.

"I'm Lau, and this is my sister, Ran-Mao," said the former.

"Nǐ hǎo," I said, greeting him in his home language.

He and Ran-Mao looked a bit surprised, as did the others. I was introduced to everyone else, and then everyone settled back into their game. As they played, they all tried to be friendly and strike up a conversation with me.

"So, Miss Rosenvlad," asked Lau in Mandarin, "where did you learn my beautiful language?"

"I learned a little bit from one of my friends; I can usually get the gist of what someone is saying, but I still don't know a lot," I answered. "Torris is in love with the Orient. He also taught me a little Japanese," I added.

"My God," chuckled Madame Red. "How many languages do you know?"

"Let's see," I said, thinking. "I know a little Mandarin, a little Japanese, German, a little Latin, and a little bit of French. Though, truth be told," I added, "I find the French tongue quite disagreeable."

"How do you mean?" asked Ciel, raising a brow.

"It just doesn't suit me," I said, shrugging. "That, and I personally don't like the French that much. They stole art from Italy, plus they think that they're better than everybody else. Honestly, most of the French, in my opinion, are just a bunch of frou-frou pansies who only get involved with any conflict just to benefit from the sidelines. And even then they just end up throwing their hands up and yelling, 'We surrender!' Then, to make it worse, they suck up to the ones who're conquering them." I snorted. "Damned weak pansies . . . "

Madame Red started laughing, as did Azzurro and Lau.

"I like you, Miss Rosenvlad!" said Madame Red through her laughter. "Not only are you supremely linguistic, but you are hilarious as well!"

I chuckled as well, fully enjoying myself, but still a little wary of Azzurro.

"Are you going to take a shot, Earl, or are you going to pass again?" asked Sir Randall.

"I'll pass," said Ciel. "It's not my policy to strike if I know I'll miss."

"That is something we can both agree on," I said, nodding my head in agreement.

Sir Randall took his shot, but he hit the Q-ball too hard, and one of the balls went flying right at me. Before I could react, Ciel quickly reached out and pulled me out of the way as Sebastian caught the ball. I ended up landing right in Ciel's lap.

"Dear Lord!" said Sir Randall. "My apologies, Miss Rosenvlad! I didn't think that I had hit it that hard."

"No, no," I said, quickly getting off of Ciel, who was blushing something awful. "I'm fine. Ciel pulled me out of the way in time, so I'm fine."

I looked at Ciel. "I know I'm not that heavy, but are you okay?" I asked, hoping I hadn't bruised the poor boy.

"I'm fine," he said, his blush starting to fade. "I'll take my shot now."

"You skipped your turn twice, and now you're going to try and get them all in one go?" asked Randall increduluously.

Ciel ignored that. "When can you secure the payment?" he asked as he lined up his shot.

Randall sighed. "I'll have it by tonight."

"Good," said Ciel. "I'll have a carriage pick you up later. I'll even prepare some light entertainment for you." He looked up, the hint of a smirk on his face. "Doesn't that sound nice?"

Ciel took his shot and put all of his remaining balls in the pockets, including the 8-ball. He straightened and handed his Q-stick to Sebastian, who replaced it in the rack.

"Wow, Ciel!" I exclaimed. "Great shot!"

He smiled at me; a small, smirk of a smile, but a smile all the same. I looked and saw that this little exchange did not go unnoticed by Azzurro, which made me a little more nervous.

After this, everyone but Madame Red, Grell, Lau, and Ran-Mao left. We all went to one of the many side rooms in the mansion and had some tea.

"So, Earl," said Lau, "do you think that the 'rat' you are looking for was among your guests today?" Sebastian served the tea as Lau asked this; I watched him in wonder. He made it look so graceful!

"I have no doubt," said Ciel, sipping his tea.

"Uhm, about that . . . ," I started.

"Grell?" said Madame Red.

"Y-yes, my lady?" asked Grell tentatively.

"Learn something from Sebastian," she answered.

Ouch. That had to hurt.

"Yes, my lady," said Grell sadly. I caught his eye and gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled back a little, clearly grateful for my sympathy.

"I mean," she said, "just look at his physique!" She ran her hand up and down Sebastian's backside, Sebastian shivering with surprise and disgust all the while.

I choked on some of my tea when she did this; Ciel cleared his throat.

"Ahem, Madame Red," he said. I couldn't tell if he was trying not to laugh or if he was just shocked.

"Sorry," she said, sheepish yet unrepentant. "Doctor's instincts; he looked like he needed a physical!"

"In your dreams, honey," I said under my breath so no one would hear.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sebastian smirk and chuckle at my remark. Damn super hearing. I blushed and took another sip of tea. Then, I stood and walked over to Ciel. I leaned in.

"Ciel, it's Azzurro," I breathed. Then, I straightened. "Well, I think I'll retire to my room now; I need to sort through my clothes and organize them."

I turned and exited the room, heading back to my room. I opened the door, and that's when it happened.

I saw a hand come out of nowhere and then I couldn't breath. Next thing I knew, it all went black. Again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

~ P.o.V - Ciel ~

After Christina had left me with her revelation, the room became too loud with Madame Red and Lau goading each other for me to think. So I decided to leave, too.

While I was in the hallway, Sebastian stopped me.

"Young master," he said, "today's desert is a pie prepared with fresh apples and raisins. Will you take it with your guests?"

"I'll take it in my study," I said.

"Very good, master," Sebastian said, bowing. "I'll bring it right away."

I walked to my study and opened the door. I took maybe four steps before a hand reached out and grabbed me from behind.

_Damn!_

Then, it went dark.

~ P.o.V Change - Christina ~

I woke up and discovered that I was bound tightly with leather belts and cuffs around my arms and wrists; and that I was sitting on the floor. I saw that I was in some sort of study or office. I heard movement next to me, and turned my head to see that Ciel was next to me, bound in a similar fashion. He turned, meeting my gaze.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, trying to scoot closer to him. I noticed that he had multiple bruises and a small cut on his face.

"Yes," he answered, trying to straighten himself as best he could.

I heard the door open and looked up. As I expected, it was Azzurro.

"Well, it seems the Queen's Watchdog and the Nymph are awake," he said, strolling over to us. He took one look at Ciel, then smacked him across the face.

"Where is the key?!" he yelled.

"Back off, Azzurro!" I yelled, positioning myself in front of Ciel and growling at him slightly.

Azzurro's expression softened, then he crouched down in front of me.

"You sure have a fiery nature, now don't you, little Nymph? You must have Italian blood in you," he said, stroking down my jawline to my jugular. I jerked away from his touch, glaring at him.

"Oh, don't be like that," said Azzurro, coming closer to me. "I plan to use you as a beautiful bargaining chip, and I really don't like the thought of hurting you."

He then grabbed my arm, picked me up, and pinned me to his left side. Holding me there, he bent over and took Ciel's chin in his other hand.

"Where is the key?" he asked again. Ciel smirked.

"As if I would tell you," he said, still smirking. "I've left orders about your key. If I'm not back, my servants will take it to the Yard."

Azzurro made a noise of frustration. Then, he threw Ciel's chin aside and went over to the phone he had on the desk, dragging me along with him.

He picked up the phone and said, "Did you hear that? Playtime's over. Take them out!" He hung up. "Now you servants will start dying one by one."

I felt myself go cold. "No," I whispered. "No, no, no, no!" My thoughts went to Sebastian; even though I knew couldn't be killed easily, I was still sick to my stomach at the thought of him being hurt. The same went for others, as well.

I began to struggle through my bonds, trying to find a weak spot. "Let me go, you carogna! Coglione!" I said, insulting him in his own language.

Azzurro kept a firm hold on me though, tightening his arm around my waist.

"Ah," he said, looking at me, "I like a fiery woman. Why can't we just get along?" he added in a purring voice.

"Over my pile of ashes!" I said. "I'll _get along _with you when pigs fly! The same goes for even ever considering you even worthy of me!" I paused, using my mind skills to get him where it really hurt. "And besides," I added slyly, "I'm disease free, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Ciel looked shocked, and Azzurro looked panicked. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, trying to avoid my gaze and being unsuccessful.

"Yes you do," I said, getting into his head. "You know about the awful pains you've been having near you so-called manhood since that night you spent with some backstreet prostitute. You know about the half-dozen medications you've been taking to try and make them go away, and the fear of realizing that they don't work for you. Oh, you know. Oh, yes, you know." I said all of this in a deadly whisper, both with my mouth and with my mind.

In his head, I pulled up the images of the prostitute he'd been with, the horror and shock at discovering what had happened to him, and the numerous doctors he'd seen. I pulled up the images of the many bottles of medicine that were in his bathroom. I made him relive the horrible truth of it all.

And while I was doing this, I had observed that his grip had slackened. As I continued, he let go of me completely in his attempt to get away from me and the truths I was speaking, and I was free to find a weak spot in my bonds. Then, the phone rang, ripping my concentration from Azzurro.

_Dammit!_

Azzurro shook his head, clearing it. Then, he picked up the phone and listened.

"What do you mean you missed?" he asked angrily into the phone. He paused to listen.

"Well, just hurry up and get back here!" he said. He listened for a bit.

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked suddenly. A pause.

"What? Did you scared little girls see a bear in the woods?" he laughed. Then, he became serious.

"What is it?" he asked. "Come on, talk to me." Another pause.

"You two better talk to me or I'm gonna kill you both!" he yelled, beginning to look panicked. Then I realized what was happening.

Sebastian had caught up to them. I started giggling.

Then, over the line, I could faintly hear, "Hello?"

"Who are you?" Azzurro asked, still a bit panicky.

Again, I could hear over the line, "Oh, so sorry. I represent the Phantomhive household. I was wondering if my young master might be available?"

Azzurro couldn't speak; he was way too scared and shocked.

Then, Ciel said, "Woof."

"Meow," I added, letting Sebastian know I was with Ciel.

I then heard, "Very good, young master, my lady. I'll come and get you both shortly." Then, he hung up.

Azzurro looked between me and Ciel, then went to the door and spoke with the guard there.

"Secure the perimeter!" he yelled, his panic still evident in his voice. "The Phantomhive brat has got help on the way! Not so much as one rat gets through!"

He closed the door and went over to the desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a gun. All around the house, I could hear the pounding of footsteps.

I kept trying to find a weakness in my bonds.

Not here. Nope, not here either. Wait a minute . . . yes! Found it!

The leather cuffs that they'd put on my wrists were a tad loose, and I centered my strength to pull my wrists apart. I pulled and pulled until . . . RIP!

"Ah," I said, rubbing my wrists, "much better." I lifted my hands as far as I could and began to undo the belts around my arms one at a time.

"How the hell . . . ?" asked Azzurro, incredulous. Even Ciel looked slightly surprised.

"I'm much stronger than any plain human," I said, tossing each belt aside as I took them off. Downstairs, I could hear the sounds of a fight. Sebastian was here. I smiled, then looked at Ciel.

"Would you like me to leave him for Sebastian?" I asked. "Or do you want me to take care of him?" I tossed aside the last belt.

"Leave him for Sebastian," said Ciel. "Just untie me."

I went over to Ciel, and as I did, I heard a lone set of steady footsteps outside the door. Just then, Azzurro rushed over to me and Ciel, holding a gun to each of our heads. As he put the gun against Ciel's head, his eyepatch, which was already pretty loose, fell off. Ciel kept his eye closed.

_Dammit!_ I scolded myself in my head. _He must have gotten the other gun when I was talking to Ciel!_

The door opened, and Sebastian walked in. I heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of him unharmed.

"I have come to retrieve my master and Miss Rosenvlad," he said, bowing.

"What is this?" Azzurro asked, surprised. "I was expecting a giant, but instead I get some scrawny dandy in a tailcoat! No matter." He pushed the guns harder into both mine and Ciel's heads. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"I have it right here," said Sebastian, taking a key out of his pocket.

All of a sudden, a dozen or so bullets came out from behind a painting on the wall and went through Sebastian everywhere; his head, chest, and legs were all shot through. Sebastian fell to the floor, an expression of surprise on his face.

"No!" I yelled, shocked at what had happened.

"Hah," laughed Azzurro, "so sorry, dandy, I trully am. But did you really think that I would go up against Ciel Phantomhive, Lord of Games, without a trump card?" He looked at me and Ciel.

"Well, it would seem a shame to kill you, little Lord Phantomhive; and you too, my little Nymph," he said. "I think that the black market would use such lovely playthings to sell at auction. I may have bruised the goods a little bit, but I still think you two will fetch a fair price." He smiled.

"That's it," said Ciel suddenly. "I'm tired of messing around. How long do you intend to play dead, Sebastian?"

"What?" asked Azzurro, looking panicked.

"Not long." Sebastian then began to rise, saying, "Guns these days are so much more efficient than they were a hundred years ago." He coughed into his hand, the bullets still in his body landing on it. Relief washed through me.

"I suppose you'll be wanting these back," he said, looking at the men that were hidden behind the fake painting.

"What are you waiting for! Shoot him!" yelled Azzurro.

Sebastian threw the bullets back at the gunmen, and they fell to the floor, dead. Then he pulled at his tailcoat, frowning.

"What an awful thing to do to a perfectly good tailcoat," he said, sighing.

"You could have avoided that, you know," said Ciel, visibly irritated.

"Of course, master," said Sebastian, pulling the Cheshire cat smile out. He began to walk towards us. "They don't seem to have take good care of you, though. You look like child, all bound up like that. But, I assume that's appropriate."

"If you come any closer, I'll shoot them both!" said Azzurro, trying to hold on to whatever small chance he had. Sebastian stopped.

"Hurry up," said Ciel. "His breath smells awful."

"But if I come any closer, he'll shoot both you and Miss Rosenvlad," said Sebastian, looking a bit worried, but sounding nothing like it.

"Are you saying you're going to break the contract?" asked Ciel sharply.

"Of course not," said Sebastian, bowing. "I remain your ever faithful servant."

"What kind of nonsense are you going on about?" Azzurro asked, still panicked.

"Young master," said Sebastian, putting a finger to his lips and smiling like a Cheshire cat again. "You know what you have to do." He tilted his head to the side. "Now, just say the words."

Ciel glanced over at me. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

I nodded as best I could and smiled at him.

He turned his attention back to Sebastian, opening his eye and revealing his contract mark of an inverted pentacle.

"This is an order!" he yelled. "Save us, NOW!"

"SHUT UP!" Azzurro yelled, firing both of the guns. I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I looked and saw that I was thankfully still alive. I also saw that Sebastian was holding the bullets that were meant for mine and Ciel's heads. I let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"What the? That's impossible!" exclaimed Azzurro.

"Are you looking for these?" asked Sebastian, holding out the two bullets. "Well, I might as well return them to you."

He dropped them both in Azzurro's front jacket pocket, then I heard a snapping and cracking sound. I turned my head and saw that Azzurro's right arm was twisted around, and obviously broken.

I stood up as Sebastian picked up Ciel and carried him to the chair in the corner of the room.

"I must admit," said Ciel, "the game wasn't as much fun this time, Sebastian."

Sebastian tore off the belts and cuffs on Ciel.

Azzurro then stood up and proceeded to wrap his good hand around my throat in an effort to choke me. However, by then I had become tired of Azzurro. I swelled up all of my strength, and I mean all of it, and ripped his hand from my throat. A shower of blood poured out, and Azzurro screamed. I looked and noticed that I had ripped off his hand from his wrist. I let the hand drop and felt a power that was more instense than I'd ever felt before surge through me.

I felt my hair grow longer, and I felt feathered wings grow from my back; on closer inspection, I saw that each feather was black with silver at its tip. My dress changed into a halter topped, dark fuschia dress. I also felt my eyes burning with rage.

"Don't. Touch. Me," I said through my teeth. I was slighlty disgusted that I had had enough strength to do that to him, and I shuddered. I turned to face Ciel and Sebastian, and they both wore shocked expressions.

"Do you want me to take care of this, master?" Sebastian asked, looking at Azzurro.

Ciel pursed his lips and thought. Then, he smiled. "No," he said. "Why deny Christina the joy?" He looked at me. "Let her take care of it."

I looked at Ciel and paled, shaking my head. "Ciel . . . n-no, let Sebastian do it," I said. "I . . . . I just can't at the moment. I-I didn't even know I could . . . I'm just f-freaking out a little right now . . . ."

He furrowed his brow, then sighed and looked at Sebastian. "Make this quick," he said. Then, I could've sworn he'd added in a whisper, "Do not let her see . . . ."

Sebastian nodded and walked past me, shadow feathers falling around him. As he spoke to Azzurro, I turned to Ciel, trying to pull myself together.

"A-are you sure you're okay? You look like he kicked you a few good times in the ribs, given the way your clothes look." I went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. I noticed it was slightly shaking.

From the way he furrowed his brow, he noticed it too. He glanced behind me and I chanced to look over. The area was completely in shadow where Azzurro was, and Sebastian was walking towards us, a serene smile on his face.

"Take me home," said Ciel quietly, before passing out.

"Oh my god!" I said, picking him up.

"Let me see him," said Sebastian, holding out his arms.

I placed Ciel in Sebastian's arms, biting my lip in concern.

Sebastian smiled at me when he noticed. "Do not worry; the Young Master will be fine." He paused, then stepped closer to me. "Are you alright?" he asked, raising a brow.

I thought about it before answering. "Y-yes . . . and no," I said. "I . . . I didn't even kn-know I c-could . . . . this is just very unsettling for me right now . . . ."

He furrowed his brow and used one hand to cup my left cheek comfortingly. He then smirked a little and asked, "Do you remember our earlier conversation?"

That caught me by surprise. "Yeah . . . ? What of it?" I asked apprehensively.

He used the hand that was on my face to turn me so that I was facing a mirror that I had not noticed before.

"Look at yourself now and tell me that you aren't attractive," said Sebastian, a little bit smug.

I looked and saw something that shocked me to my core. My wings were pretty big, and quite beautiful. They wrapped around me slightly, as if like a sheild. And my hair? Holy crap, was it gorgeous! It seemed to be more shiny, and thicker, too.

And my eyes! They seemed to be glowing like the pink sky at sunset, and they were surrounded by thick lashes. They also seemed a little larger. I gasped.

"Holy crap!" I said, my earlier shock being replaced with this new one. Sebastian chuckled and I looked at him.

"Okay," I said, "even I have to admit that I look pretty awesome right now." There was no point in denying it; I looked like an Avenging Angel.

As if reading my mind, Sebastian said, "One would think that you were a Holy Terror released on mankind." He snickered.

I rolled my eyes, and tried to return to normal. It took a moment, but I did it. The sensation of my wings going back into my skin made me squirm a bit, though. Then, I turned to face the door.

"Come on," I said. "If we're not back by dinner, Madame Red and Lau will begin to wonder what happened to Ciel."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

We walked back to the mansion, but we went through backroads and through the forest if we could so we wouldn't be noticed. When we got back to the mansion, the back door was open. Sebastian raised a brow, but didn't say anything.

We walked in, and then we were enveloped in three very loud, and very concerned, people.

"Mr. Sebastian! Are you alright?" asked Mey-Rin, the maid.

"Master Ciel! Oh my, what happened?!" asked Finny, the gardener.

"Your message was too hard to understand!" said Bard, the chef.

"Will you all be quiet?"

I looked down and saw that Ciel was awake.

"Sorry, Master," they all said, sheepish. Then, they looked at me. I smiled a little sheepishly.

"This is Miss Rosenvlad," said Sebastian. "She is the one that was found in the garden."

All three of them bowed. "Hello, Miss Rosenvlad."

I felt a bit flustered. I wasn't used to being treated like this! "P-please, call m-me Christina," I said, stuttering slightly in my surprise.

Mey-Rin looked between the three of us. "What happened?"

"Nothing," said Ciel. "I just tripped, that's all."

"Yeah," I added. "We were playing a game of cat and mouse. I was the cat, and I won; Ciel tripped when he was trying to go up a steep of hill."

I gave the three of them knowing looks. Their expressions became ones of understanding, and they all smiled.

"Well, accidents happen!" said Finny.

"I'm going to draw a bath for the young Master," said Sebastian. "Can you three handle dinner at least this once?" He put Ciel down.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," I said. "I know how to run a bath. No, I'll take care of it," I said when Sebastian began to protest. "You stay here and help with dinner. After all," I added, smiling, "I have a younger sibling, so I know how to do these sort of things."

I took Ciel's hand and we left the kitchen. We walked upstairs, and Ciel led me to the bathroom. He went in first, then I closed the door.

"So," he said, "you have a little brother?"

"No," I said, "a little sister. She's going to be eight." I turned on the faucet and warmed the water to just the right temperature. "Is this warm enough?"

Ciel took off his coat and stuck his hand in the water. He looked surprised.

"It's perfect," he said. I smiled and helped him take off the rest of his clothes. When it came to his breeches, however, he blushed.

I noticed this, then said, "I'll turn around. Let me know when you're in the tub."

I turned around and heard him undo his breeches. I then heard the slosh of the water as he got in and sat down.

"I'm in," he said. I could still hear the embarrassment in his voice.

I turned around and rolled up my sleeves. "Okay, then," I said, "let's start with your hair."

I grabbed the shampoo and worked his hair into a good lather. He sighed.

I chuckled, saying, "You must really like baths. Not that I blame you; they're so relaxing and warm." I sighed. "My little sister likes them, too. Okay, tilt your head back."

He did so, and I rinsed out his hair, being careful not to get soap in his eyes.

"I can tell you've done this many times before," said Ciel, wiping his face with the washcloth.

"Yeah," I said. "My mom has an injured wrist and bad back, so I mainly give Alexis her baths. I also give her more time to play in the tub than my mom does, which she loves."

I took the washcloth and put some soap on it. I scrubbed Ciel's back, arms, and chest, being as gentle as I could. After all, the poor boy had bruises all over him. I also noticed a burned-in mark on his mid-left side, but I tactfuly ignored it. Ciel, however, tensed up when I began to clean the skin around it. I rubbed his shoulder reassuringly, and he relaxed. I noticed that he winced when I cleaned his ribcage and frowned.

"After you get out, I'm going to check to see if your ribs are okay," I said, handing him the washcloth. "You finish up while I have Mey-Rin or Sebastian get you some clothes, okay? I'll be back in a jiff."

Ciel did as he was told, and I left the bathroom. I ran back to the kitchen.

"Mey-Rin?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"Could you get some new clothes for Ciel, please? I don't know where his room is," I said.

"Allow me," said Sebastian, appearing on my left.

"Okay," I said. "Just bring them to the bathroom; I'll get him dressed. Plus," I added, "I want to check and see if his ribs are okay. He seemed to be in pain when I touched them."

I saw Sebastian nod, then I was running back to the bathroom. I knocked on the door.

"It's just me, Ciel," I said. "Is it safe to come in?"

"Yes," he answered.

I opened the door and closed it behind me. I sat down in the chair behind Ciel and stroked his wet hair. I sighed.

"You're such a sweet boy, Ciel," I said. "I wish I had a little brother like you."

Ciel reached up with one hand and took mine. Then, he mumbled something.

"Hmm?" I asked.

Ciel blushed. "I said that you remind me of my mother," he said, a little louder this time.

I paused, feeling tears spring to my eyes. Then, I kissed the top of his head and rested my chin there.

"I'm so sorry, Ciel. I am so, so sorry," I whispered. I let my tears fall.

"You know," he said quietly, "you are the first person to say that and actually mean it." He turned and looked at me, then frowned when he saw my tears. "What're you crying for?" He wiped my tears away with his free hand.

I smiled slightly. "Heaven knows that you won't shed any more tears," I started, "so I am going to shed them for you. With my abilities, I can feel your sadness, anger, and hatred. Let me do this one thing for you, Ciel. Let me be the one to feel your sadness. And I hope that doesn't sound selfish." I paused, and kissed his forehead. "Besides, it's not healthy to stuff it all inside you. You'll get ulcers when you're older."

Ciel was stunned. Then, we heard a knock on the door.

"Christina? I have the Young Master's clothes," said Sebastian from the other side of the door.

I composed my self and let go of Ciel's hand. "Okay," I said.

I went to the door and opened it. "Thank you, Sebastian," I said, taking the clothes from him.

"You're welcome," he said. "And, for future reference, the Young Master's bedroom is two doors down from your room," he added in a whisper.

"Thanks," I whispered back.

CRASH! BOOM!

Sebastian sighed. "I leave them alone for five minutes and they have to do something . . ."

"Completely idiotic?" I suggested.

"Yes," said Sebastian. "Completely idiotic. If you'll excuse me."

He rushed down the hall, and I closed the door with a chuckle.

I shook my head. "Ah, I feel bad for Sebastian. I can just imagine what they've managed to do to the kitchen."

Ciel sighed. "The water is starting to get cold," he said.

"Then I guess it's time for you to get out," I said. I got a couple of towels and placed it in the chair I had previously occupied. Then, I turned around.

I heard Ciel get out and wrap a towel around himself. I turned back around and let the water out of the tub. Then, I turned and helped Ciel dry his hair with the other towel.

"Okay," I said. "Stand still. I'm going to check and see if any of your ribs are broken or severely bruised. If any of them are, I'll have to bandage you up immediately so they set right, okay?"

Ciel nodded. I felt along his ribcage carefully, looking for anything out of sorts. When I got to his lower left ribs, Ciel gritted his teeth and winced. I felt them more carefully.

I sighed. "It's just as I thought," I said. "Your lower left ribs are severely bruised." I opened what looked to be a closet and searched inside for any medical supplies. I found a white metal box and opened it. Sure enough, there were some bandages inside. I took a few rolls then put the box back and shut the door.

"Okay, let's get you bandaged up," I said, unravelling the first roll.

I held the first end as I began to wrap him up. When the end was covered pretty well, I let it go and wrapped the next two around him, finishing quickly.

"There," I said, happy with my work. "You'll have trouble bending, but it's for the best. If you put too much strain on those ribs, they'll set in a really funky way."

Ciel frowned. "I feel like a mummy."

"Well, you certainly don't look like one," I said, smiling and getting his clothes. I handed him his breeches and turned around again.

I heard him put them on and I turned back around to button them. I helped him with his shirt, vest, ribbon, socks, and boots. Lastly, I helped him with his jacket. I turned him around and smiled.

"There!" I said, happy with my work. "As good as new!" I looked at him closely, then hugged him. "Oh, you're so cute! I swear, you look so freaking adorable!" I swung him side to side as I said this.

"Can't breathe!" he gasped.

I let him go. "Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I lose my control when I see cute things. Especially children and cats."

Ciel blushed. "W-well, anyways, we should go downstairs and wait for dinner."

"Okie dokie!" I said, rolling down my sleeves. "What are we having?"

Ciel shrugged. "I don't know."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

We went downstairs and waited in the dining room for dinner to be done. I looked around at the paintings in the room, until my eyes stopped on one particular piece. I walked over to it and stood beneath it.

It was a portrait of Ciel's parents.

"This is them, right?" I asked Ciel quietly.

"Yes," he said. "My mother and father, Rachel and Vincent."

I took out my pentacle and held it with both of my hands. I bowed my head.

"What're you doing?" asked Cie, sounding confused and a little weirded out.

I looked at him. "Paying my respects to their spirits. If you were to close your eyes and focus hard enough, I bet even you could feel them."

Ciel looked doubtful, but before I could say anything more, Sebastian came out.

"Dinner is served," he said.

Ciel and I walked to the table. Sebastian pulled out my chair and did the same for Ciel. I looked around.

"Did Madame Red and Lau go home?"

"Yes," said Sebastian. "They both said that they had business to attend to."

"Aw," I said, frowning a little. "That's too bad; they're really nice."

"Don't worry," said Ciel, furrowing his brow. "Knowing them, they'll find an excuse to come and bother me again."

I laughed as Sebastian brought out our plates, saying, "Tonight's dinner is roast beef with potato and cooked carrots. The wine I've selected will bring out the flavor of the beef."

"Wow," I said. "It looks delicious!"

I said a quick thanks to the Lord and Lady for the meal, then I dug in. I took smaller bites than usual, since in those days women didn't stuff their faces. The beef was a perfect medium rare. When I took my first ever sip of wine, the flavors burst in my mouth.

"Wow," I said. "For my first ever taste of wine, that was wonderful!"

"You've never had wine before?" asked Ciel, surprised.

"Nope," I said. "Where I come from, people are only allowed to have alcoholic beverages when they're twenty-one. But, I don't really care. As long as it's just wine, I think I'll be okay. And besides," I added with a foxy grin, "it's not like I'm going to tell my mother. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. It's not like I'm bingeing on rum or anything."

I finished my glass of wine, and I felt my face starting to redden from the alcohol. I finished the rest of my roast beef and veggies, then asked Sebastian for another glass of wine.

"Of course," he said, pouring more into my glass. I could tell that he was fighting a smirk.

"After this one, no more," I said, my words slurring slightly. "Even if I ask for more, don't give me any. I don't feel like getting drunk. I hear that hangovers aren't exactly the most pleasant things in the world." I giggled.

I could tell that Ciel was trying not to laugh at me, along with Sebastian. However, their expressions turned to shocked when I downed the entire glass in one go. They just stared at me.

"What?" I said. "I've got *hic* Irish blood in me. Did you think I wouldn't *hic* know how to drink?" I smirked. Then I paused.

"I'm feeling in a *hic* musical mood for some reason *hic*," I said suddenly. I looked at Ciel. "Do you have a violin *hic* lying around somewhere?"

It took a moment for him to answer. "Yes, I do. But what are you . . . ?"

"Good!" I said, clapping my hands together. "Could I *hic* see it?"

Ciel and I stood up and Sebastian led us to another spare drawing room. He took out a violin case and opened it.

"Oh! How *hic* beautiful!" I said. I looked at Sebastian. "It's a *hic* Stradivarius, isn't it?"

Sebastian blinked in surprise. "Yes, it is."

I took it out of the case and rosined the bow. I tested the tuning, and found it to be perfect. Then, I looked at Sebastian and Ciel.

"We should get the others and *hic* go outside for this," I said. "The sound will be much prettier *hic* outside. And, after all," I added, "I think *hic* they deserve a reward for making such a *hic* nice dinner."

They both just stared at me as I left the room. I heard them following me silently as I made my way down to the kitchen. I poked my head in.

"Hey guys," I said. "You want to *hic* hear some music outside?" I asked.

"On the Victrola?" Bard asked, confused.

I shook my head. "Nope," I said. "On *hic* this!" I showed them the violin.

Finny jumped up excitedly. "You can play that?" he asked, bright-eyed.

"Yep! So, do you guys *hic* want a little treat or what?"

"Sure!" said Mey-Rin. Then, she paused, looking at me. "Are you alright, Miss Christina? You seem a little . . . off, yes you do."

I waved her off, laughing. "I'm fine! I'm completely *hic* fine, deary! I just had some wine is all!"

They all got up just as Ciel and Sebastian caught up to where I was standing. We walked out the kitchen door and went outside into the garden. The moon was full, and the light from it filled the garden with a pale, silvery-blue glow. They all sat down; Ciel on the bench, and Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard on the ground. Only Sebastian stood.

"Okay," I said, "this is one of *hic* my favorite Irish melodies! It's called *hic* 'The Coast of Galicia.' I can't remember who *hic* wrote it, but it's wicked *hic* pretty!"

I brought the bow down on the strings and started the song; the beginning is a bit slow and playful, and I saw Mey-Rin and Finny close their eyes and smile. Then, the song has a pause, and then the melody rips out into a faster, more rowdy rhythm. As I played, I started to move along with the music. Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin got up and started dancing with me, laughing. I believe I even saw Ciel crack a genuine smile, along with Sebastian.

Bard, Finny, and Mey-Rin were dancing in a circle around me, holding hands. They were all giggling like children, and I started laughing, too. I played the last playful note, and everyone was asking for more.

"Play us another song, Christina!" said Finny.

"Yes, please do," said Ciel. "I'm actually enjoying this."

I fake frowned. "Did you think that *hic* because I'm a little tipsy that I *hic* wouldn't be able to play? Oh, you wound me, *hic* Ciel." I smirked.

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just play another song."

"Okay, okay," I said. "Let me think . . . oh! I *hic* know! There's this song where I *hic* come from called 'Goodnight My Angel'. It's really *hic* pretty, even though it's *hic* a bit sad. It also has words *hic* that go to it."

"Can you play and sing at the same time?" asked Bard.

I blushed a bit, then said, "Well, yes, I *hic* suppose so. But I'm *hic* not in a good condition to be *hic* singing." I giggled.

"Forgive me for saying this, but I must agree, I must," said Mey-Rin, giggling a bit. She sighed. "I'll bet you have a beautiful voice, though!"

I smiled at her and hiccupped again, bringing the bow down on the strings, starting the melody. When I finished the song, I looked up and saw that Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard were in tears. Even Ciel looked wistful. Sebastian was smiling with his eyes closed.

"What? *hic*" I asked, feeling self-conscious.

"That was so beautiful!" sobbed Bard. He blew his nose into a hankie.

"Oh, Christina!" exclaimed Mey-Rin. "That was so pretty, yes it was!"

Finny hugged me while on his knees, resting his head against my hip. "You have such talent, Christina! It's so wonderful!"

I blushed, not used to this kind of admiration. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, and I noticed my hiccups were gone. "Thanks, you lot," I said. "But believe me when I say there are others more talented than me. I'm not even that good, really. I can only play songs that I know by heart on this. Forget trying to teach me classical music; I can't really handle that crap."

I suddenly yawned really loud, and then I blushed with mortification. _How embarrassing!_

Sebastian chuckled. "I'll escort you to your room, Miss Christina," he said. He took the violin from me. "I'll bring the case to you in the morning. You can keep this in your room to occupy yourself with."

I gasped, then hugged him. "Thank you so much!" I released him, grinning widely.

Seastian's eyes were wide, then he composed himself. He offered his right arm, and I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow. We all went inside, happy and content.

Sebastian led me up to my room, Ciel following us silently. We stopped outside my bedroom door. I opened it, then turned to say goodnight to Ciel. I gave him a tight hug and kissed him on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Ciel," I said. "Sweet dreams!" I smiled at him brightly.

He blushed, then said, "Likewise," and gave me a quick hug back. He walked to his room, opened the door, and closed it behind him quietly.

"Such a sweet boy," I said, sighing. "It seems almost a shame that you're going to eat his soul. I hope you take time to savor every bit of that boy's essence, and do it gently," I said to Sebastian. "Cuz if you don't, I just might kill you. Or really kick your ass."

"Understood," said Sebastian, smirking.

"No, I'm bein' as serious as the plague ovah heyah," I said as we walked into my room, letting my New Hampshire accent out. I turned around so he could unbutton my dress. "Be gentle with that boy when the time comes. He's suffered enough in life already; don't make him suffer through his death as well," I added softly.

I pulled off the dress, and waited for him to loosen the corset strings. He did so, then turned me around to face him, a peculiar expression on his face.

"You are a kind person, aren't you, Christina?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Well, it only makes sense," I grumbled, unhooking the front of the corset and letting it drop. "And heaven knows that Ciel is going to suffer only more heartbreak in life; why should he have to suffer in death? Even you, a full-fledged demon, have to agree that that boy has been through enough already."

He paused, looking at me. Then, he finally said, "You really care for the young master, don't you?"

"Shit yeah," I said. "To me, he is like a precious little brother or son. I have this urge to take care of him, see him happy, and be by his side. I guess it's what you would call 'maternal instinct'. I can't help but wanna make him happy," I said, smiling softly. "After all," I added, "my Goddess teaches compassion and kindness, along with tough love and justice. If I felt nothin' for Ciel, then it would be like denyin' everything I believe in."

Sebastian looked genuinely gobsmacked, so I just took my nightgown and went behind the folding screen. As I undressed, I heard Sebastian chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Forgive me," he said, "but it's just so odd! You are a half-demon, yet you follow such a religion!" He chuckled some more. "I can't help but find this funny."

"But you must remember, Sebastian," I said, pulling on my nightgown and stepping out from behind the screen, "I'm half human, too. I'm not incabable of cruelty, as you and Ciel both witnessed with Azzurro, but I'm not incabable of compassion, either. I can love as strongly as I can hate, but it's the one I choose that matters."

I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over me, laying on my side. "Goodnight, Sebastian," I said. "I know demons don't need sleep, but it's a luxury for you, right? Sleep tonight. It's good for you, man."

Sebastian's expression remained slightly shocked, but he nodded his head and left my room, closing the door softly behind him. I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

KABOOM!

I woke with a start, then realized that it was a thunder and lightning storm. I sighed, wishing that I hadn't been woken up. As I went to lay back down, however, I felt this awful fear in my stomach. I could tell it wasn't my own emotion, so I closed my eyes and tried to figure out where it was coming from. Then, I opened my eyes, jumped out of bed, got my slippers on, and rushed out my door.

It was coming from Ciel's room!

I went down the hallway and knocked on his door. "Ciel," I said, "it's me. Are ya alright?"

No answer.

Panicked, I opened the door and found Ciel curled up in a tight ball with his blankets pulled over him. The thunder crashed again, and he jumped.

"No, no more!" I heard him saying. "No, don't touch me!"

I went over to his bed quietly and placed my hand on his back. "Ciel? Ciel, can you hear me? It's only a nightmare, Ciel. You're safe now." I paused, then rested my head on his back. "Ciel, it's okay."

Ciel uncovered his face, and I was shocked to see that it was pale and drawn. His eyes were wide, like a deer caught in headlights. I knew I had to be careful with him, or else he'd really fly apart.

"Ciel," I whispered, "it's okay. It's only a nightmare, it's not real anymore. It's not real."

"I-it's n-not r-real," he whispered, starting to get a grip.

"No, it's not," I said gently, stroking his hair.

He slowly began to calm down. When I saw that he was back to normal, I said, "Are ya okay, Ciel?"

He nodded, blushing with mortification. "Don't tell anyone you saw me like this," he said sternly.

I smiled. "Of course not," I said. "Why would I?" I stood and turned around, saying, "Try n' go back to sleep, though, okay? Goodnight."

I took a step forward. As I did, the thunder cracked again, and I felt something holding me back. I turned and saw that Ciel was holding my sleeve.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep," he said.

I smiled. "Okay, I will," I said. "Scoot over." I lifted the blankets and got in beside him as he did so. I wrapped my arms around him, cradling him like I would my sister.

"I'll stay here with you until morning," I said. "If you have any more nightmares, keep in mind that when you awake from them, I'll still be here. Okay?" I asked, looking down at him.

He hesitated. "Okay," he said. Then, he paused, looking like he was in deep thought. Then, he said something surprising. "My mother used to say the same thing to me. You really are just like her." Then, he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

I watched him for a while, then sighed. I looked at the door.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's not nice to eavesdrop, Sebastian?"

The door opened, and Sebastian walked in, a smirk on his face. I frowned.

"How long have you been out there?" I asked, a little miffed.

"Since you came barrelling down the hallway," he said. He looked at Ciel. "Actually, I heard the young master first." Then, he looked back at me, that peculiar expression on his face again. "You really are a kind person, aren't you Christina?"

I blushed at the way his eyes burrowed through me. I turned away, then said, "Like I said before, I want to take care of him and see him happy."

"What about returning home?" Sebastian asked, suddenly next to the bed.

"Well, all I'll have to do is just go back to the second after I disappeared," I said. "I can technically stay here as long as necessary."

"You mean until I eat his soul?" Sebastian asked, raising a brow sardonically.

"Well, yes," I said, hugging Ciel a bit closer to me. As I did so, I felt a sharp pain on my thigh. I winced, then took the covers off and saw that Ciel had forgotten to take off his ring; the side of the sharply cut stone had cut through my nightgown and skin. I saw my blood spreading on my nightgown from the small scratch.

"Aw, dammit," I said. I pulled my nightgown up just above the cut; it was a few inches above my knee, and I noticed that it wasn't that deep. But then I heard Sebastian's gasp, and I looked up.

His eyes were blood-red cat eyes again, and he was staring intently at my cut. Then he looked into my eyes and I was frozen. I couldn't will myself to move, no matter how hard I tried. His eyes held me.

Without looking away, Sebastian got down on his knees. Then, he did look away, only to stare at my cut again, licking his lips. Then, he spoke.

"You have no idea how tempting you are."

I still couldn't move.

Then he brought his face closer to my cut. Before I could even register what was going on, he stuck out his tongue and licked at the blood that was coming from the scratch. He trembled and closed his eyes, licking it once again. I gasped, finally in control of my body once more. He looked up at the sound, and smirked.

"You taste even better than you smell," he said, coming closer to me.

"Again, you make me sound like an endangered species that would make an elegant dinner," I said quietly, wiping at my cut. I noticed that it had stopped bleeding. Was it because Sebastian licked it? I blushed.

Sebastian chuckled. "When you blush, your face is unbearably adorable," he said, holding my chin in his right hand. "Just like a kitten~ . . . ."

Once again, I was unable to move. It was those damned eyes of his! I decided to try a different tactic: I changed my eyes, too. Once I did, I could control myself again. But, his hand still held me motionless.

"You should feel honored," he purred in my ear. "To have won my affections is a remarkable feat. No one in the history of my existence has been able to do so."

_Damn that low, seductive voice of his!_ I trembled as he kissed my jawline, all the while holding my gaze. As he got closer to my mouth, my breathing became more erratic.

When he got to my mouth, he paused, then he traced my lower lip with his tongue. I gasped, then he came down on my open mouth, kissing me deeply. And still, he held my gaze. It was like I couldn't look away; no, more like I didn't want to.

His tongue left no part of my mouth untouched. And, before I knew it, I was kissing him back! I followed wherever his tongue went, and even delved into his mouth as well. I moaned, and saw Sebastian's look of surprise my response. Then, he purred deep down in his throat like a lion.

Then, I heard Ciel stir in his sleep. I broke away from Sebastain, blushing up to my ears in embarrassment.

"Aw, God fuckin' dammit!" I exclaimed to myself in a frustrated whisper. "I'm losing what little mind I have left! I mean, shit! There's a telve-year-old boy sleeping right next to me, and I'm doing something like that?! Aw, man," I said resting my head in my hand and pulling back my hair. "I'm going more insane than I already am."

Sebastian chuckled, and I looked at him, scowling.

"It's not funny, Sebastian," I said in a serious whisper. "What if he had woken up and saw us? Imagine the damage that would do to him." I shuddered, then blushed. "And besides, I'd rather he not see me act like some wonton whore . . . ."

Sebastian frowned, but then he smirked.

"Well, you certainly are not a whore, Christina," said Sebastian. Then, he paused. "However, I can tell that you have kissed someone before."

I blushed. "Yeah, I've kissed someone before," I grumbled. "So what?"

He frowned slightly. "For some reason, I find the thought of you having kissed someone else rather displeasing," he said, his frown becoming more pronounced. "And I do not know why."

I snorted a quiet laugh. "I think what you're trying to say is that you're jealous, right?" I giggled some more. "Ah, even though you are a demon, you are still most definitely a typical _guy! _Getting jealous over something so trivial."

Suddenly, Sebastian grabbed my hand and brought it to his heart. Or, at least where he was supposed to have a heart; I couldn't feel a heartbeat.

"Christina," he said intently, "you are the first person in my entire three thousand year existence that has ever made me feel like I actually have a heart. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that gives me a enough grounds to be jealous over the fact that another man has kissed you, let alone touched you." He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. "From now on, I am the only one in the world allowed to touch you like this, understood?"

I was so shocked by his outpour that all I could do was nod. He smiled, letting my hand go. Then, something he had said made me smile.

"So, you're three thousand years old?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yes."

I snorted, trying not to double over in laughter. I saw his look of confusion, so I explained.

"Okay, you've heard of reincarnation, right?" He nodded. "Well, I can remember most of my past lives. And, believe it or not, my soul is older than you are."

He literally looked shocked as shiz, and his expression made me laugh harder; it was a struggle to be quiet.

"How old is your soul?" he finally asked.

I paused to compose myself. "Well, the earliest life I can remember was in Egypt around four thousand BC. My father was an architect, and I had a twin sister." I did some quick math in my head. "So that makes me about a couple thousand years older than you, Sebastian."

He smirked, over his bout of shock. "Well, it seems I've fallen for an older woman. I can't say I'm surprised though," he added. "Your soul does smell and taste very well aged~ . . . ."

Ciel stirred in his sleep again; by then, the storm had moved farther away, the thunder much less audible than it had been earlier. I looked at Ciel and smiled softly.

"Aw, he's even cuter when he sleeps!" I said. "I swear, I could just watch him forever."

Sebastian chuckled, then rose. "I'll let you go back to sleep now, Christina. Goodnight." He moved towards the door.

As he did so, I heard myself saying, "What? No goodnight kiss?" I blushed at my boldness.

Sebastian turned around, an expression of slight shock on his face; apparently, he was as surprised as I was at what I'd said. He then proceeded to smile and walk back over to me. He knelt down as he did before.

"Yes, my lady," he said, stroking my cheek and bringing his face closer to mine. When our lips met, I instantly responded, intwining my fingers in his black hair; in the back of my mind, I marvelled at how soft it was. He put his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. The kiss was sweet, and much less carnal than the one before. However, this one seemed much more intimate and deep.

We disconnected, then kissed each other once more; a quick, sweet peck.

"Now I can go to sleep," I said, my hands still in his hair. We both smiled. He rose, taking my hands from his hair and holding them in his own.

"I shall see you in the morning," he said, kissing each of my hands before turning and walking towards the door again.

"Yeah," I whispered, settling back into the bed. "See you in the morning."

I snuggled into the blankets, putting one arm around Ciel and the other above his head. I closed my eyes, and the last thing I heard was the door clicking shut.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the birds outside. I found that Ciel had taken a hold of my hand at some point during the night. He had my hand clasped between both of his, and he had brought it up to his forehead. I smiled, stroking his hair with my free hand.

I heard the door open and turned to find Sebastian bringing in the morning tea. He saw that I was awake and smiled.

"Good morning," he said, going towards the windows.

"Mornin'," I said as he opened the first curtain. The light shot through the window, hitting me right in the eyes. I hissed, turning my face away.

"Ah," I said, blinking my eyes. "Damn sun is way too friggin' bright this morning; always is."

"Sorry," said Sebastian. He finished with the windows, then went to wake up Ciel.

"Young master," he said quietly. "It is time for you to wake up."

Ciel stirred, groaning through his sleepiness. Then, he looked up at me.

I smirked. "G'mornin', sleepyhead," I said, ruffling his hair.

He looked at his hands and saw that he held one of mine. He let me go, blushing as he did so. I laughed.

"Well, apparently it's time to rise and shine, hon," I said, throwing back the covers. I stretched, looking out the windows. "Ah, it's so beautiful outside!" I turned back to Ciel and Sebastian.

"I'm gonna go back to my room," I said. "I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast!"

I left Ciel's room and walked back to mine. I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. I went to the wardrobe and opened it up to pick out what I was going to wear. I gazed over all of my choices, finally settling on a light sherbert orange dress with puffed short sleeves. I grabbed the petticoats, chemise, and corset and put them on the bed next to the dress. I took off my nightgown and threw on the chemise and petticoats. Then, I put on the corset. I reached behind me to tighten the strings; I found that it was actually easier than I had anticipated. When the corset was at a comfortable tightness, I tied the strings into a bow.

I grabbed the dress and put it over my head. As I put my arms through the sleeves, I heard a knock on my door.

"Miss Christina," called Mey-Rin from the other side, "Mr. Sebastian sent me to help you get dressed."

"Okay," I said. "Come in."

Mey-Rin walked inside and shut the door immediately behind her. Then she looked at me, her expression becoming one of shock.

"How did you get dressed so fast, Miss?" she asked, walking over to me.

"Well, I'm not completely dressed," I laughed. "The dress needs to be buttoned up and I need to get my stockings and boots on."

"Okay," she said. She turned me around and buttoned up my dress. As she did so, she said, "But still, for you to get as far as you did by yourself, that's amazing, yes it is!"

"Eh, well, I've always been fast at doing stuff," I said to her. I sat on the bed and she put my stockings and boots on. I stood and stretched once more.

"Well!" I said brightly. "I might as well just let my hair out of this braid. I think I'll keep my hair down today."

I took the ribbon off and unbraided my hair. The ending result was really nice; my hair hung in rippling waves down my back, the light reflecting just right off of my red highlights. Mey-Rin gasped.

"Oh! How pretty!" she said. I laughed, linking arms with her.

"Come on," I said, leading us out the door. "Let's get a move on. I don't know about you, but I'm so hungry I could an entire boar!"

Mey-Rin laughed as we walked down the hallway. When we got to the grande staircase, I took one look at the railing and got a brilliant, but crazy, idea.

"Hey, Mey-Rin," I said slyly. "Have you ever noticed that this railing is perfect for sliding? Look at how smooth it is . . . ."

She looked at it, tilting her head to the side. "Yes, I suppose so," she said, looking back at me. She raised a brow. "What are you thinking?"

I shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering how fast I would go down the rail if I were to slide down it," I said, smiling like a fox. "You wanna race?"

She hesitated, looking at the railing then back at me. She smiled, saying, "You're on."

We each went to a different rail, sat on it sidesaddle-style, then looked at eachother.

"One," I started, shifting my weight.

"Two," added Mey-Rin, gripping tighter onto the rail.

"Three!" I ended.

We slid down the railings, laughing like little girls. When I got close to the bottom, I noticed Sebastian waiting there. As I slid off at the end, he caught me and spun me slightly. I laughed and turned my head to see that Mey-Rin was being caught by Bard on the other side of the staircase, laughing like I was. I looked at Sebastian.

"That was so much fun!" I said. "You should _so_ try it, Sebastian!"

"Yes, it was fun, it was!" added Mey-Rin. On closer inspection, I noticed that Bard still had one arm wrapped around her waist. I caught his gaze and raised my brow in question. He blushed, averting my suspicious gaze. I smiled slyly.

"Anyways, what's for breakfast?" I asked Sebastian. "I'm starving!"

"Blueberry muffins, hard-boiled eggs, and oranges," answered Sebastian, letting me go. "However, it will be a few more moments before the muffins are out of the oven."

"Perfect!" I said clapping my hands together. "I noticed that gorgeous grand piano in that room where we got the violin last night, and I really want to try it out!"

As Sebastian led me back up the stairs, Mey-Rin and Bard following behind, just as Ciel was about to come down them.

"Hey, Ciel," I said waving, "I'm gonna play the piano. You wanna hear?"

Ciel sighed, then looked at me with a small smile. "Sure, why not?"

I smiled, taking his hand as we walked down the hallway. We got to the music room and I sat down on the piano bench. I opened the piano and cracked my knuckles.

"I know the perfect song!" I said. "Let me know what you guys think!"

I put my fingers on the keys and started playing "Sanctuary" by Utada Hikaru, a song from Kingdom Hearts. It starts off slow, then gradually gets faster. I once had heard it described as the emotion of love; starting calmly, then getting more intense and deep.

I closed my eyes, letting myself live in the music. I could sense everyone's eyes on me as I played. I also heard the doors open and two people walk in. One of them gasped, and I could tell that it was Finny.

As I ripped into the chorus once more, I really got into it, letting my body sway with the music. Then, it got to the end, where the notes were soft and high, and, above all, sweet. It was almost wistful, and I felt myself smile. Then, as I hit the last note, I looked up.

The other person who had entered with Finny was Grell! I felt my eyes widen in surprise.

"Hey Grell," I said. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Madam Red?"

"Yes, Miss," he said meekly, "however, my mistress sent me here to learn how to be a better butler from Mr. Sebastian."

He then looked at Sebastian with googoo eyes. I tried to keep myself from laughing. Then, I got up.

"Well, I would think that the muffins are done by now," I said, closing the piano. "Shall we?" I offered my hand to Ciel.

He smirked. "Of course," he said, taking my hand and walking out the door with me. "But I have some business to attend to in London after breakfast," he continued as we walked down the hall.

"Really?" I asked. "Can I come with? I'd love to see London. Pretty please?" I did my best puppy dog eyes.

Ciel tried to look away from my pleading gaze, but failed. He sighed. "Fine, just behave yourself," he finally said.

I beamed, scooping him up in a hug and spinning him around. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said. "I'll be on my best behaviour. I'll even talk in my best British accent you think that'll help," I added in a British accent.

"Yes, that's fine. Just let me go. I can't breath," gasped Ciel.

"Oh! Sorry!" I said, releasing him.

We continued on downstairs into one of the side rooms that had a window overlooking the garden. Ciel and I sat at opposite ends of the medium sized oval table.

"Let me help," said Grell quietly as Sebastian started setting out the food. "I'll go get the tea."

Before Sebastian could get a word in edge-wise, Grell was out the door. Sebastian sighed, and I chuckled.

"He's so eager to learn," I said, "so don't be too hard on him, Sebastian. What could possibly happen?"

Sebastian gave me a look, but said nothing. Ciel and I started eating our eggs, when we heard a faint yelling coming from down the hall and getting closer; along with that, we heard a WHOOSH!

The next thing I knew, Grell came bursting through the door, riding on top of the tea cart. The cart then proceeded to run right into Finny, and the hot tea spilled all over him. He yelped.

"Hot hot hot!"

"Oh my! I'm so sorry, let me help!" said Grell.

He went to grab a napkin from the table, but ended up grabbing the tablecloth. He dragged the whole thing across the table, spilling all the food all over mine and Ciel's laps; thankfully, we had napkins over them. Grell turned around and saw.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" he said, a panicked look in is eyes.

Ciel looked like he was trying to keep himself from decking the poor guy. However, I was the total opposite.

"Pfft, ha ha ha ha!" I laughed, holding my sides. "Ahahaha! You should see the looks on all of your faces!" I then began to laugh so hard that I couldn't breath, let alone speak. I fell out of my chair laughing.

"I'm sorry," I said, straightening. "That was just so funny, I couldn't help it!" I giggled some more, then went to Grell.

"Well, Grell, my dear, you have a lot of enthusiasm, I'll grant you that," I said, putting my arm around his shoulders. "However," I continued, "I do see your problem: You let your enthusiasm run away with you. It's good to be enthusiastic, but you also need to pay attention to your surroundings and to what you are doing. That's easily fixed."

"How so?" he asked meekly, visibly apprehensive of my answer.

I smiled slyly. "Through rigorous training and endless discipline, that's how. Don't worry," I said, noticing the panicked look on his face, "I'm not a dictator or anything; I'm just really hardcore. You'll survive."

Grell ducked out from under my arm, grabbing a knife from the table.

"I don't deserve to survive anything!" he said despairingly. "I should just die!"

As he went to stab himself, Sebastian came up from behind him and took the knife.

"Mr. Grell, if you wish to end your life, do it outside," he said, smiling, "Your blood spilling all over the floor would only create a larger mess." He placed the knife back on the table.

"What generosity!" said Grell, clasping his hands. "What great kindness!"

"That was kindness?" I heard Bard ask in an aside. I snorted a laugh.

Sebastian opened his watch and checked the time. "Master, are you ready? It is almost time. I have the carriage waiting for you and Christina in the front drive now." He closed his watch and placed it back in his front pocket.

"Fine," drawled Ciel. He looked at me. "Are you ready?"

"And willing!" I said, skipping to his side. "I can't wait to see merry ol' London!" I added in a thick British accent.

Sebastian smiled, then turned to face the others. "As for the rest of you," he said in a stern voice, "I want this place absolutely spotless, understand? Grell," he added, "maybe you should just sit and relax so you don't cause any more trouble."

"Thank you, Sebastian!" said Grell in obvious adoration.

Ciel, Sebstian, and I headed out of the room and got our cloaks. I noticed that mine was a wonderful shade of dark fuschia. I gave Sebastian a look as he helped me put it on.

"I wonder," I said, "did you find this for before or after the incident with Azurro?" I smirked.

"Before, actually," he said, smiling. "Although, I must say that it is quite ironic."

I laughed, then followed him and Sebastian out to the front drive. I took one look at the horses drawing the carriage and squealed.

"Oh my gosh, these horses are gorgeous!" I said, walking up to them. I let them each smell me, then I petted their muzzles. "Such big, soulful eyes," I murmured.

Both of the horses were black; however, they had light brown eyes the color of creamed coffee. They were both easily 14 to 15 hands tall each, and were very well muscled.

"Even I must admit to admiring these creatures," said Sebastian. "You don't find creatures like these in Hell."

I turned to face him. "That place must be very bleak and miserable then. I can only imagine how boring it must be down there." I looked down at the ground.

"Hey, we need to get going!" said Ciel impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, ruffling his hair. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch, we're coming!"

Ciel stared at me open-mouthed. "No one has ever back-talked me before," he said.

"Well," I said, "you might want to get used to it. I'm not used to really taking orders from someone younger than me; but I love ya all the same! So, if I back-talk ya, it's just my natural response. Don't take offense at it." I smiled.

Sebastian lifted me into the carriage and Ciel got in behind me. He sat across from me, a slightly surprised look on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"You just said you loved me," he said slowly.

"Well, duh!" I said, rolling my eyes. "How could anyone not love you? You have to be one of the sweetest boys I know! You're like the younger brother I never had, or like the son I want to have in the future."

Ciel's look just got more surprised, but he said nothing. We rode in silence for awhile. Before I knew it, I could here the bustling noises of the city. I looked out the window and smiled in awe. Man, was London HUGE!

"Wow," I said quietly. "This place is amazing. It's so full of people!"

"Of course," said Ciel. "Haven't you ever been to a city before?"

"Well, yeah, but not as busy as this one!" I was practically bouncing in my seat.

Ciel chuckled. "You call me the younger one, but who's the person acting the youngest?"

I turned to face him and stuck my tongue out at him. "Oh, poo! I don't think I'll ever act my age; like I said, I always act either too young or too old." I paused, then smiled. "I can't wait till my birthday . . . "

"When is your birthday again?" Ciel asked.

"March 19," I said, "in good old 1995."

"Well," said Ciel, "it's November here, so that's around four months away."

"Holy shit! Really?!" I asked.

Ciel's mouth dropped open.

"What?" I asked. "What did I do now?"

Ciel face-palmed, then said, "Christina, while you're here, you might want to fix your use of language."

"Huh? What's wrong with the way I talk?"

Ciel sighed, then looked up at me. "Christina, you swear really badly for a girl. Girls these days aren't supposed to talk like that."

"Well, that's just too damn bloody bad," I said, crossing my arms. "I speak my mind. I don't see any problem with that."

I heard Sebastian laughing from the driver's seat.

Ciel sighed again. "You don't understand: Women aren't supposed to speak so bluntly." He paused. "Plus, they aren't supposed to swear like some drunk Scotsman."

"What's wrong with the Scottish?" I asked.

"Nothing, it's just that they're very unruly," he said.

"Well, here's a surprise for you, Ciel: I'm Scottish," I said, leaning forward. "And I'm damn proud of it. After all," I said, smiling deviously, "a girl's got to love the sight of a guy who's manly enough to wear a wool skirt, and who looks damn fine in it, too."

Ciel was speechless. Meanwhile, Sebstian was trying to hold it together up in front. After a couple of minutes, we stopped.

"Master, my Lady, we are here," said Sebastian, opening the carriage door.

He helped me step out first, then Ciel. I looked around me and gazed at the magnificence of Victorian London.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I looked around at everything that surrounded me. So many people! I had never seen so many people!

"Wow! It's so busy here . . . " I trailed off, my eyes taking everything in.

Sebastian chuckled. "Yes, Milady; London is one of the busiest cities in the world."

"Which is why I hate coming here," muttered Ciel.

I looked at him. "Aw, c'mon, Ciel! You're too young to be a recluse; wait until you're wicked old. Or at least until you're forty."

Ciel smirked, then became serious again. "Christina, I want you to wait out here with the carriage," he said.

I pouted slightly. "Let me guess: it's because I have no manners, bad posture, and the mouth of a Scottish sailor?"

Sebastian bit back a snicker as Ciel smirked. "That's part of the reason," he said. "However, it is mainly because I need you to watch the horses."

I glanced at the horses and smiled. "I can do that," I said.

Ciel nodded, and then he and Sebastian went into the shop that we had parked in front of; it had a sign above the door with a cane and a walking stick criss-crossed. I stepped closer to one of the horses and patted its nose.

"I swear, you guys are gorgeous horses," I murmured.

The horse I was patting tossed his mane a little and nickered. I chuckled. "Show-off," I said affectionately.

The shop door opened and Ciel and Sebastian came out; Ciel looked irate, and Sebastian was smirking.

"Okay, what happened?" I asked, raising a brow.

As Sebastian lifted me inside the carriage, Ciel said, "Nothing." He got in and sat across form me again, holding his new walking stick.

"I'm gonna call a big bull shit on that statement, Ciel," I said. "I'm not stupid, nor am I blind; I can tell something happened to piss you off."

He was quiet for awhile as we rode along. It wasn't until the noise of the city had finally faded away that he said something.

"I'm tired of people making assumptions just because of my age."

I raised a brow. "Elaborate. What exactly did he say?"

He sighed, looking out the window. "He called me a boy and asked if I was on an errand for my father."

My jaw dropped. "Now way."

Ciel nodded, and I scowled, growling under my breath. "I am half-tempted to go back there and shove every cane he has so far up his ass that he'll be deep-throating them," I muttered darkly.

I sensed rather than heard Sebastian's laughter. Ciel apparently didn't hear me, since he just kept staring out the window. I sat forward and patted his knee. He looked at me.

"Well, you know what this means, hon?" I asked, grinning. When he said nothing, I continued. "This means that you gotta just keep proving everyone and their bloody assumptions wrong. Make them know and tremble in fear and awe at the name 'Ciel Phantomhive.' Give them hell!"

He smirked and shook his head. "You are something else, Christina . . . . "

I took that as a compliment and grinned wider, sitting back in my seat.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When we got back to the mansion, I flew out of the carriage and took a deep breath. "Ahh . . . home at last," I said.

Sebastian appeared at my side. "Was the ride not enjoyable, Christina?" He smirked.

"It was, but then my butt started to get sore from all the bumps and stuff," I said, grimacing a bit and rubbing my aching backside.

He chuckled. "Let's get inside," he said.

"Yes. I want to make sure that my mansion is still in one piece," said Ciel, a minor scowl on his face.

I snickered, then looked back at the horses and carriage. "You two go on ahead; I'll take care of all this. And no buts," I added as Sebastian opened his mouth. "I can do it."

Sebastian sighed, but said, "The carriage house and stables are on the southwestern portion of the property. And give each horse an apple when you put them away."

I smiled and said, "Will do, Sebastian. And don't worry, I won't break anything." I jumped up into the driver's seat, grabbed the reigns, and cried, "Hiya!"

I grinned as the horses began to gallop, laughing as I led them to the carriage house. I hopped off and guided them to park the carriage in the right spot. I unhitched them, then brought them to the stable. After I had put each of them in there pens, I stood before them, holding a couple of apples.

"You two did good," I said. "You deserve a treat." I gave them their apples, kissed each of their noses, then jogged back to the mansion.

I entered in through the kitchen door and went into the foyer. When I stepped inside, I gawked.

"What the bloody hell?!"

_Good Lord and Lady,_ I thought._ It looks like Hello Kitty and Barbie threw up in here . . . ._

I heard running footsteps behind me, and then I was tackled to the floor. "Oh please, Miss Christina, hide me!"

"M-Mey-Rin?" I grunted. "Could you get off of me?"

"Oh dear! My apologies, Miss!" she said, getting off and helping me up.

"Anyways, what happened here?" I asked, brushing my skirt off.

As she opened her mouth to answer, a girl's voice appeared from behind me. "I made Ciel's mansion all cute! Doesn't it look pretty?"

I turned as Mey-Rin hid behind me. The girl looked around Ciel's age and had curly blonde hair that was in pigtails, green eyes, and a bubbly smile.

"If I may ask, who are you?" I asked, confused.

"Oh! My apologies; I am Lady Elizabeth Midford, Ciel's fiancee," said the girl, curtsying.

Oh yeah . . . I forgot about her . . . I thought.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lizzie," I said, curtsying back. "I am Lady Christina Rosenvlad, from America."

"A pleasure to meet you!" she said, smiling brightly. She looked at me for a moment, then clapped her hands together. "That's it! I've decided! Since Ciel is my escort for the party we are having tonight, then Sebastian shall be yours!"

I felt myself blush slightly. "L-Lizzie, uhm, what do you mean 'party' . . . ? Did Ciel say it was okay . . . ?"

"Of course he did!" she said brightly. "Now, let's get you dressed up!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me up the stairs.

"Wait, what?" I asked, panicked.

_Dear Goddess, help me . . . !_

~ Time Lapse - 3 hours later . . . ~

Three hours later, I was having that exact same thought.

Lizzie had dragged me to her room and proceeded to put me in a lilac colored, knee-length dress with a, uhm, questionable neckline. It was made of satin, and had white satin accents and bows on it. The style wasn't half-bad, but the neckline . . . Add to that the fact that she put me in black cat ears and a matching tail . . .

_Dear Goddess, help me . . . !_

I was in the foyer at that point, leaning up against the wall and fighting the urge to repeatedly slam my head into it.

"Well, it's not so bad, little lady," said Bard, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Least you ain't alone in this."

I cracked a smile, looking at his schoolgirl outfit and long, curly brown wig. "You know what they say, Bard: misery loves company," I said dryly.

He grunted in agreement, taking a drag of his cigarette.

I heard a fuss and saw that Lizzie was trying to take off Mey-Rin's glasses. I almost stepped in, but then Ciel came down.

"Leaver her alone, Lizzie," he said sternly.

I smiled when I saw him. He just looked so cool! The outfit, most likely picked out by Lizzie, was a royal blue that matched Ciel's eyes perfectly.

"Cieeeel!" squealed Lizzie. When he finally hit the bottom of the stairs, she spun him around, causing his hat to fly off.

I chuckled and went over to pick up the fallen hat. However, Sebastian beat me to it and picked it up just as I'd stepped up to it.

As he straightened, he looked at my outfit, the cat tail and ears in particular. He caught my eye and I blushed a little at the sight. His eyes were glowing, raking over me and pausing a little at my neckline.

Looking back at me, he murmured, "I'm glad Lady Elizabeth came. She chose the perfect dress for you . . . "

I bushed darker, then heard Ciel raise his voice. "Give it BACK, Elizabeth!"

I looked over and saw tat Lizzie had his ring. _Oh shit_, I thought.

"W-Why're you so angry?" asked Lizzie, her voice trembling.

Ciel held his hand out for his ring, an angry, stern expression on his face.

"I just wanted to . . . " started Lizzie. Then, she became angry. "I . . . I hate this ring!"

Before I could even realize, she had thrown the ring to the floor. It shattered, and everyone stared in shock.

Ciel raised his hand as though he were going to slap her, and I moved without thinking. I placed myself in front of Lizzie and waited to be slapped, but it never came. I looked and saw that Sebastian had grabbed Ciel's arm and stopped him.

"My Lord, you forgot your new walking stick that we took all that time to procure," he said smoothly, smiling politely.

Ciel panted, looking from him, to me, and then to Lizzie, who was crying. He took a deep breath and calmed down, taking his walking stick and bending over to pick up the ring fragments.

"You must forgive my lord, Lady Elizabeth," said Sebastian, bowing. "That ring once belonged to the previous head of the Phantomhives. It means a great deal to him."

"I-it was that precious, and . . . and I destroyed it?" she asked, sniffling and peeking around me.

Ciel had moved to the window, which was open to the night sky. Then, much to everyone's shock, he threw the fragments outside.

"Ciel, what are you doing?!" cried Lizzie, running over to the window.

"It's just a ring," he said stiffly. "It doesn't change the fact that I am Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent, and that I am the head of the house now."

His expression was one of steady resolve, and I felt such pride for him that all I could do was smile and murmur, "That's my Ciel."

Ciel wiped Lizzie's face and nose with a hanky, then held out his hand. "Now, let's dance the night away," he said, smiling slightly.

Lizzie smiled, then, as if on cue, music started to fill the room. I looked over and saw that Sebastian had put a record on the Victrola. I chuckled, then Grell, in his frilly white dress, piped up.

"Oh! Let me help!"

He went to stand next to the Victrola and began to sing an aria along with the music. My eyebrows shot up. Who knew he could sing so well? I thought.

I saw Ciel dancing a lovely waltz with Lizzie, and I smiled. Such a kind boy . . .

"May I have this dance?"

I looked to my left and saw Sebastian holding out his hand, bowing slightly.

I blushed, but took his hand. "Of course, Sebastian," I murmured.

He straightened and smiled at me. And not that Cheshire cat smile, either; a real, genuine smile. It was so brilliant that I thought my heart would stop.

He led me out to the middle of the foyer, and he said, "I assume you know how to waltz?"

I nodded and placed my hand on his shoulder. As he led me through the dance, I moved a little closer to him and said, "I also know how to dance the tango." I smiled. "I know many other dances as well; my friends back home say I'm the best dancer in our group. Although . . . " I trailed off, biting back a giggle.

"Although?" questioned Sebastian, his brow quirked and a smirk on his face.

"Well," I murmured, "music from my time . . . and the dancing that goes along with it, would be considered . . . quite scandalous by this time period's standards." I smirked.

He pondered that, then leaned down and whispered, "You'll have to show me sometime, my little dark angel."

I felt my face heat up by a million degrees at both the nickname and the tone of his voice. "Y-yeah . . . someday," I said, stuttering a bit.

And so, we danced.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I waved goodbye to Grell from my bedroom window as he left to bring Lizzie home. When I could no longer see the carriage, I sighed and flopped down on my bed, laying down to relax.

"Great Goddess, is she a handful . . . . "

"I know."

I sprung up and saw Ciel and Sebastian standing in my door.

"Jegus, you two, don't scare me like that!" I said, laughing.

Ciel's lips turned up in a sort-of smile. "Would you like to join me for tea before bed?" he asked.

"Sure thing, hon," I said.

We went down the hall into Ciel's room. As Sebastian got Ciel ready for bed, I poured our tea and sat at the end of Ciel's bed.

"You know," I said, setting my tea down, "I'm real proud of you, Ciel. You didn't show how much it hurt when Lizzie broke your ring. You didn't want her to feel bad." I looked over and smiled at him.

He bristled slightly. "Don't be foolish. It was just a ring," he said stiffly. He went to fiddle with his ring like he always did, but stopped when he remembered that it wasn't there. He grew a bit sullen.

"Is Christina the fool?" asked Sebastian, looking down at Ciel sternly. He kneeled down in front of him and replaced the ring on Ciels' finger, completely good as new.

I was barely surprised and smiled, downing the rest of my tea. Before Sebastian could say anything, I got up and ruffled Ciel's hair.

"Hon, you know that ring means the world to you," I said. "Even if you feel haunted by it."

Ciel looked up at me, surprised. I chuckled. "Yeah, I could tell," I said. "My intuition is crazy accurate, Ciel. And like I told you before, I feel other people's emotional states when I focus hard enough."

I stretched and sighed. "Well, I'm so dog-gone tired that I could sleep through a bomb." I kissed Ciel on the forehead, then looked at him tenderly.

"Ciel, try not to tie yourself to the ghosts of the past owners of this ring. You need to live your life, and in such a way that those ghosts will be too scared to haunt you. Like I said before, give them hell."

I kissed is head once more, then left and went into my room. I went into my wardrobe to pull out my nightgown when I spotted something.

My normal clothes.

They were folded and in a neat pile at the bottom of the wardrobe. Intrigued, I picked up my pants. _That's funny,_ I thought. _Why're they so heavy . . . ?_

Then it hit me: my iPhone. Excited, I dug into my right pocket and pulled out my sherbert orange iPhone 4.

"Ah! Sweet technology!" I said, nuzzling it. "I can finally listen to my music!"

I quickly turned it on and went through my music. I rifled through my song list and put on "Evil Angel" by Breaking Benjamin. As the lyrics started, I began to sway with the music. Then, when it got to the chorus, I sang along.

"Put me to sleep, evil angel~! Open your wings, evil angel~!"

At the end of that last line, I felt my wings come out. I ignored it and kept swaying and twirling with the music, my eyes closed. When the chorus came on again, I sang with it once more.

"Put me to sleep, evil angel~! Open your wings, evil angel~! Ohhh~! Fly over me, evil angel~! Why can't I breathe, evil angeeel~?"

The badass instrumental solo came on and I fully let go, raising my arms above my head and moving with the music, my eyes still closed. All of a sudden, I felt a hand at my waist and another holding my right hand. My eyes flew open in surprise, and I saw that Sebastian was here, dancing with me.

Then, he did something that surprised me: HE sang with the chorus, never looking away from me while those red eyes of his peered into my soul.

"Put me to sleep, evil angel~! Open your wings, evil angel~! Ohhh~! Fly over me, evil angel~! Why can't I breathe, evil angeeel~?"

His rich tenor voice surrounded me as we danced, and I was spellbound by it. When the song ended, he pulled me closer.

"Forgive me," he said, his voice resonating, "but I could not help myself. You just looked so . . . " he trailed off, leaning closer to whisper in my ear, "ravishing . . . and ravishable."

I shivered, but I wasn't cold. On the contrary, I felt like I was getting a fever. I flet my wings fold back into my skin, and I squirmed a bit, rolling my shoulders.

My expression must have been quite a sight, because Sebastian chuckled and kissed my brow. "Does it really feel that odd to you?" he asked, amused.

"Yes and no," I said. "It'll take some getting used to . . . "

"You will get used to it," he said confidently, stroking my jawline.

I quirked my brow. "Do you have wings, Sebastian?"

He smirked. "In my true form, yes."

I thought for a moment, then asked quietly, "M-may I see it someday? Your true form?"

He looked a little surprised by my request, then he smiled softly. "I would rather you didn't, my little dark angel. I don't want to scare you."

"Sebastian, I don't scare that easily," I said, fiddling with my cat tail. "But, if it makes you apprehensive, I'm not gonna pry." I smiled then added, "Anyhoo, I'm tuckered out. Lizzie is a force to be reckoned with."

He chuckled and released his hold on me. "I believe the Young Master would agree," he said.

I got out my nightgown and flopped it over the top of my folding screen "Yeah; he's gonna have his hands full with that one," I said, taking off my cat accessories. "Hey, could you help me with the dress and corset?" I turned so that my back was to him.

"Certainly," he said. I could hear a smirk in his voice, but I ignored it.

I felt his fingers undoing the buttons of the dress, and then he lift it up over my head, leaving my petticoats. He placed it on my bed, then united and loosened my corset.

"Ah, much better," I said, sighing. s I moved to change behind the folding screen, Sebastian stopped me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He pulled me towards him so that his chest pressed against my back, and he put his arms around my waist.

My heart thudded in my chest, and he chuckled quietly. "You're blushing, my little dark angel," he whispered, his lips at my ear.

I shivered, unable to speak. His lips moved from my ear to my neck, placing a tender kiss on my pulse point.

"Ah-!" I bit my lip, cutting off a soft moan. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sebastian, I need to sleep . . ."

He sighed, but let me go. I hurried behind the folding screen and quickly changed into my nightgown. I stepped out and saw Sebastian going through my songs on my iPhone. I smiled.

"It's called an iPhone," I said, going to stand beside him. "You can have music, videos, and even record things on it. And you can call people, too."

"Hm . . . It's interesting . . . " He trailed off, looking at one of my songs. I looked over and blushed.

_Oh shit,_ I thought. _He just HAD to find that one . . . ._

Right there, in the middle of the screen, was "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera.

He looked over at me and grinned, noticing my blush. "Is this one of those songs that you spoke of?" he asked, raising a brow.

I reached for my iPhone, but he lifted it out of my reach. While he did so, he accidentally hit "Play," and I felt myself get even redder.

"Oh God . . ." I said, flopping face down on my bed and pulling the pillow over my head. "Someone shoot me . . . ." I groaned.

The song continued to play, and I got more embarrassed by the second. When the song ended, I felt him sit on the edge of the bed.

He was quiet for awhile, then said, "Do you dance to that song?" I could practically hear and feel him smirking.

I took the pillow off my head and nodded, still face down on the bed.

"You will have to show me someday," he said, his voice right next to my ear.

I looked up in surprise and saw that he was leaning close to me, his eyes glowing brighter than I'd ever seen. I gasped quietly at the sight, then attempted to formulate a response.

"U-uh . . . s-sure, Sebastian," I stuttered. "Someday . . . . maybe." I smiled slightly, then I yawned. I covered my mouth in mortification.

Sebastian's eyes went back to their usual red-brown color as he laughed. "I should let you go to sleep," he said.

He moved to get up, but I put a hand on his. He looked down at me in question, and I cleared my throat a little.

"W-well, I n-never said you . . . h-had to l-leave . . ." I mumbled.

I felt his shock, but then he sat back down on the bed. He smiled, then said, "What exactly do you want to do?"

I sat up and fiddled with the hem of my nightgown. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to sleep in here tonight," I said quietly. "After all, it is a big bed . . . "

He looked at me, a little surprised. Then, he silently took off his gloves with his teeth; I found the sight oddly sexy. He then shrugged off his tailcoat, and as he did so, I saw the contract mark on his left hand. He got up and proceeded to place his tailcoat over my vanity chair, adding his vest and tie as well. As he did so, I crawled under the covers and scooted over some so he would have room. He walked back over to me, toed off his shoes, and crawled in beside me, gazing down at me.

"You really don't mind this?" he asked. I could hear his sincerity, and I smiled.

"Not at all," I said. I took his left hand in both of mine; I noticed that his nails were naturally black. I turned it so the contract mark was facing up, and I kissed it lightly. I nuzzled his hand, closing my eyes and sighing.

"Hmmm . . . this is nice," I breathed. I nestled into my pillow more and scooted closer to him.

I flt his chest vibrate with silent laughter as he stroked my lips with is thumb and put his other arm around my waist. "Go to sleep, my little dark angel. My innocent dark angel," he murmured, lowering his head to kiss me deeply.

I smiled and drifted off to sleep, still holding his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

~ Sebastian's P.o.V ~

I looked down at Christina's sleeping face, feeling baffled and amazed. She looked so . . . innocent, yet she subconsciously knew how to drive me insane. Her innocence was practically begging to be corrupted. Yet, somehow, I knew that Christina could be quite the seductress; that is, if her taste in music was any indication. Or the way she danced.

Despite all of that, she was indeed a very confusing creature. She had a child-like playfulness about her, but could speak wisdom far beyond her years. Perhaps it had to do with her ancient soul; perhaps it was how she could look at the world for how it was and say exactly what she thought about it.

I chuckled quietly, not wanting to wake her. _She most certainly has no problems in speaking her mind,_ I thought to myself. _Her temper is astounding . . ._

I thought back to yesterday when she and the Young Master had been taken. While I had not been surprised that the Young Master had been kidnapped, I was shaken when I found out that Christina was missing as well. I'd never felt so livid or bloodthirsty before. At the same time, I had never felt more relieved to hear Christina's voice than when she let me know that she was okay . . . . and by meowing, of all things!

_Her meow is so adorable . . ._

And the sight of her, powerful and beautifully angry . . . It made me hunger for her more. Even just thinking about it was making me aroused.

"What have you done to me?" I sighed. "Here I am, a powerful demon, and yet I would do anything you asked of me, without question. And even without a contract."

She shifted in her sleep, turning so her back was to me. She let go of my hand and sighed. "Mmmmm . . . Sebastian . . . " she breathed, still asleep.

I tightened my hold on her, using all of my self-control not to ravish her then and there.

"If Memnoch, Lilith, and Lucifer could see me right now, they would laugh until Doomsday," I muttered.

_Well,_ I added mentally, _Lilith would be more jealous than anything else . . . She likes girls like Christina . . ._

The clock in the foyer chimed 4 am, and I sighed. _Time to prepare for the day . . ._

I looked down at Christina, and a wonderfully devious idea came to me. I grinned, then leaned down and kissed her neck, sucking on her skin and biting on it slightly. I noted in the back of my mind how delicious she was. I lifted my head, peering at the resulting mark. I chuckled mischieviously.

I then rose and put my shoes, tie, vest, and tailcoat back on. With a last look at Christina, I left her room, closing the door quietly behind me.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

~ My P.o.V ~

I awoke to the sound of the birds singing. I sighed and smiled, closing my eyes again. Then, they flew open. I looked over beside me and saw that my bed was empty.

_Did . . . Did I only dream that he stayed with me last night?_ I asked myself.

I sat up and went to stretch my neck, but a sharp pain on the right side of it stopped me. I hissed a little in surprise, then felt around the area tenderly.

"Ow," I muttered. "Did I pull a muscle or someshit?"

I got up out of bed and stretched the rest of my body. I walked over and sat in front of my vanity and looked at my dismal bed-head. I huffed.

"Well, I might as well brush it," I said, picking up my brush. As I swept my hair to the side, I froze.

"Oh. My God," I said. "He didn't!" I blushed and stared at the quarter-sized hickey on my neck. It was a red-purple color, and I could've sworn I could make out a faint fang mark in it.

I frew redder and proceeded to brush my hair, wonderting how the hell I was gloing to hide it from the others . . . especially Ciel. As I set down my brush, a knock sounded on my door.

_Oh, he's SO gonna get it,_ I thought. I sat up straighter in my chair and said, "Come in." The door opened, and Sebastian walked in with a tray. I could see a teapot and a plate with a hot croissant and an apple on it.

"Good morning, Christina," he said, his eyes smirking.

_I swear to God,_ I thought, _only HE can make his eyes convey a smirk . . ._

"Good morning, Sebastian," I said as he placed the tray in form of me on my vanity. "You know," I started, "I had the oddest dream last night."

"Really?" he said, fully smirking now. He poured my tea as he asked, "May I inquire as to what it was?"

"Well," I said, pausing to take a sip of my tea, "I had a dream that you stayed in here last night and slept in my bed with me."

His eyes sparkled mischieviously. "Really? How odd indeed."

"But," I added, "I find myself questioning if it was really a dream or not. You see," I said, standing and facing him, "I seem to have a mark on my neck that was not there last night."

I moved my hair aside and quirked my brow, fighting a smirk of my own. "You wouldn't happen to know how it got there . . . " I paused, stepping toward him so we were chest-to-chest, "would you, Sebastian?" I whispered.

He growled low in his throat as his eyes glowed. He wrapped his arms around me and descended on my lips, kissing me a little roughly. I gasped, and he took advantage of my open mouth, sliding his tongue inside. He left no place untouched, and I fought to remain standing.

"Mmmm . . . !" I moaned, needing air.

He pulled back and peirced me with his intense gaze, a little saliva on the corner of his mouth. "You. Are a tease," he said, panting slightly. "And here I thought you were innocent."

I giggled breathlessly. "Well, I may have done a thing or two in the past, but I am still a virgin, Sebastian," I said, grinning and winking.

I slipped out of his arms and sat back down to eat my croissant. As I buttered it, Sebastian stood behind me and said, "A thing or two?"

I laughed and took a bite. "Yes, but nothing extreme or even remotely bad, don't worry," I said. "I've had more done to me than the other way around, mah dear. And very little has been done to me, so you can rest easy."

I finished my croissant and picked up my apple. "Hmmmm . . . I wonder . . . " I said quietly.

"What?" asked Sebastian.

"Well, there's this thing that says if you twist the stem of an apple and say the alphabet with each turn you make, then the letter you stop on when the stem breaks off is the first letter of the first name of the person you're destined to be with," I explained. "I was just a little curious . . . . "

I began to twist, saying, "A . . . B . . . " I continued, and the stem finally came off at the letter "M." I frowned. However, Sebastian seemed surprised.

"Maybe there is some credence to that superstition," he said. When I looked up at him in question, he explained, "Sebastian Michaelis is the name the Young Master gave me when we made the contract, not my actual name."

"Well, what is your true name, then? If you don't mind me asking . . . " I added, not wanting to pry.

He grinned, then leaned in and whispered, "It's Mephistophiles."

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "No way!" I said as he leaned back. "You're the one who made the deal with Doctor Faustus? Wait . . . " I added, thinking back on my theological readings. "If you're Mephistophiles, that would make you the secondmost powerful demon in existence! Right on par with Lilith, if I'm not mistaken . . . . "

His eyebrows shotup in surprise, then he smiled. "Yes, that is correct, my little dark angel," I said. "I never realized that you knew so much about me. I'm flattered~ . . ."

I smacked his shoulder playfully. "Shut up," I said, grinning. "I may not be a Christian, but I pride myself on being knowledgable about theology."

He chuckled and went into my wardrobe, pulling out a high-necked, three-quarter sleeved, black dress with white lace accents. I got up and looked at it appreciatively.

"This is pretty," I said, tracing my fingers over the white lace that covered the black bosom; the rose and vine pattern stood out against it. I grabbed my petticoats asnd other undergarments and went over to my folding screen. Once there, I got a really awful idea. Grinning, I moved the screen over a little so that it had the sunlight hitting it. This way, my shadow would be visible from the other side. Once I'd made sure it wouldn't fall over, I eased my nightgown over my head.

I could feel Sebastian's eyes watching me, and I bit back a giggle. I slipped on my chemise and a clean pair of drawers, then my petticoats and corset. I stepped out and walked over to Sebastian.

"If you would?" I said, turning my back to him.

I felt his fingers at my back as he tightened my corset, still leaving me a bit of room so I could breathe. As he tied the strings, he leaned in and whispered, "If that was for leaving my mark on you, then consider us even."

I chuckled and grabbed the dress, slipping it over my head. "Well, that's what I was goin' for," I said, grinning.

He buttoned up the dress, then helped me with my stockings and boots. "Anyhow," he said, "it is good that you are awake. The Young Master recieved a letter from Her Majesty; a string of gruesome murders has occured in London."

"Who were the victims?" I asked, curious.

"Prostitutes," he said, standing. I stood as well, and he placed my hand in the crook of his arm. They were all murdered in the same manner, as well: all of them were bloodied beyond recognition, cut up in horrendous ways."

"The Jack the Ripper Murders!" I said. "That case is still famous in my time. It's said that they caught the guy who they thought was behind it, but they still weren't completely sure."

He opened the door and led me down the hallway. "Your help will be greatly appreciated by the Young Master," he said.

"So, back to London?" I asked.

"Back to London," he said, nodding.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

As we stood in front of Ciel's townhouse, I stared at it.

"Wow," I said. "This is nice, Ciel."

"It serves its purpose," he said, still a little annoyed at having to stay in London for any extended amount of time.

"Look at it this way, Young Master," said Sebastian, leading us inside. "At least this is a break form those three."

I chuckled as Ciel sighed. "That is true," he said. He opened the door to the drawing room.

"Where does he keep the bloody tea in this place?"

I did a doubletake, as did Ciel. "Madame Red? Grell? Lau? What are you three doing here?" I asked.

"Oh! Hello, Lady Rosenvlad! Hello Ciel!" said Madame Red, smiling.

I glanced down at Ciel, and I almost laughed. _That poor boy is probably mentally banging his head against the wall,_ I thought.

After Sebastian had served us up some tea, Ciel discussed the case with Madame Red and Lau. I browsed the book case, since I already knew the gist of the whole situation. When Lau asked Ciel if he would be able to handle seeing the body, I turned to see what his response would be.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked. "I am the Head of the Phantomhives; don't be so foolish."

"Ciel, are you sure?" I asked. "Stuff like that is gruesome as all hell."

"I will be fine," he asserted. "However, if you are unable to handle it, you are more than welcome to stay here-"

"Ciel, don't even go there," I said, smirking. I then became serious. "Trust me, Ciel. I can handle it. I stood right next to my mother as she almost lost her hand through a window. And I've seen things that are really not suitable for anyone to witness. I think I'll be fine."

He thought about that for a minute, then sighed. "Alright," he said, standing. "Let's go."

~Time Skip- at the scene of the crime . . . ~

"I want to see the body."

"You've got to be joking!" exclaimed the inspector at Ciel's request.

"I assure you, we aren't," I said. "For death, especially murder, is no joking matter."

The inspector opened his mouth to say something, then a familiar voice said, "Leave it alone, Abberline."

I looked behind Inspector Abberline and saw Sir Randall coming towards us.

"Hello, Sir Randall," I said, inclining my head slightly.

"Lady Rosenvlad," he said gruffly. He looked at Ciel. "What are you doing here, Lord Phantomhive?"

"My job, Sir Randall," answered Ciel with a smirk, holding up the letter from the Queen.

Sir Randall frowned, but would still not allow Ciel to view the body. We walked away, and Ciel sighed. "I'm left with no other chouce," he said. "We're going to see . . . him."

"My Lord, surely you can't mean . . . ?" asked Lau, sounding shocked.

"Indeed," said Ciel gravely.

We walked to a rundown-looking shop with a sign above it that said "Undertaker."

"So, where are we?" asked Lau, smiling. I facepalmed.

"You mean you said all that and you had no idea where we were going?!" exclaimed Madame Red. I sighed and slowly shook my head, smiling slightly.

"We are visiting an old associate of my Lord's," said Sebastian. "His profession is as an undertaker."

Madame Red paled. "An . . . undertaker?" She shivered a little.

We walked inside and Ciel called out, "Undertaker? Are you here?"

"Heeheehee~ . . . "

I looked around until my eyes came to rest upon a man that was inside one of the many coffins that littered the interior of the shop. He laughed again, saying, " 'Ave you finally come to purchase one of my custom-made coffins, Milord? Heeheehee~ . . ."

He stepped out, and I almost had a heart attack. My jaw dropped, and my breathing picked up in pace. Sebastian looked at me in question, but said nothing.

_H-how on Earth . . . ?_ I thought.

The man looked at me; or, at least I think he did . . . Couldn't really tell with those silver bangs of his in front of his eyes. He gave me a steady perusal, then smiled.

"My my my," he said. "What sort of lovely creature do we 'ave 'ere?"

Ciel cleared his throat, saying, "None of your business, Undertaker. Now, I'm here because-"

He was cut off by Undertaker placing on long black nail on Ciel's lips. "I know why you're 'ere, Milord," he said. "You also know my price . . . Heeheehee~ . . ."

"Ah, I see," saisd Lau. "Your job as an undertaker is just the surface. How much do you charge . . . for information?"

The Undertaker suddenly stood in front of him, drooling slightly and grinning. "I don't want any o' the Queen's coins!" he exclaimed. "I want the ultimate source of joy! Give me a first-rate laugh!"

As the Undertaker started to giggle, Ciel sighed. Lau went first and made a terrible pun that made me double facepalm. Madame Red went next and started to tell a dirty joke, during which Sebastian covered Ciel's ears for. I thought it was mildly amusing; however, I was a bit surprised. I thought _I_ had a dirty mind! Undertaker, however, was less than impressed. He turned to Ciel.

"It's your turn, Milord," he said. "I gave you a special last time, but I won' be doin' it again."

"Tch!" said Ciel, scowling. Then, I got an idea.

_This could be my only chance!_ I thought.

I cleared my throat and stepped forward. "Actually, Undertaker, I believe it's my turn."

Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, except Undertaker. He gave me a slightly sly smile, then moved to stand in front of me.

"All right, dearie," he said. "What's your name again?"

"Lady Christina Rosenvlad," I said, keeping my voice level.

"All right, Chrissy," he said, giving me a nickname. "Give me a first-rate laugh!"

"Christina-" started Ciel

"I would like it if you would all wait outside, please," I said, cutting him off. "And do not, under ANY circumstances, try to listen or peek in. I'll know if any of you do."

They looked uncertain, but did as I requested. When the door closed, I waited a fewmoments before speaking.

"Why are you here, Alistair?" I asked. "You of all people; of all Grim Reapers."

He started to chuckle, taking off his long top hat. He swept his bangs back, and I could see his irridescent green eyes.

"I thought I recognized your soul," he said, his voice losing it's insanity tone. He sat on one of the coffins across from me, observing me carefully.

"One of the most ancient souls in the world . . . residing in a half-demon. And don't try to deny it, I can feel it," he said, grinning. "How did you remember me, dearie?"

I smirked darkly. "One does not simply forget the being who carries there soul to the Otherworld every time they die," I said. "The one single Reaper who is charge of their soul."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Alistair smiled. "I suppose not," he conceded. "However," he added, becoming serious, "you are not of this time, are you? While I may be retired from active service right now, I still perform my duties where your soul is concerned, and I know this is not the form you have in this life."

"If I tell you," I started, "you have to tell Ciel everything he needs or wants to know. After all," I added, smiling, "they're counting on me to get you to do just that. I could tell him myself, but that wouldn't be as much fun, now would it?"

He laughed, tilting his head back. "You're right about that, Chrissy," he said. "Fine; I'll tell 'im what he needs to know."

"And," I added, "I also have . . . questions. I . . . I don't think some of what I can do . . . is normal for a half-demon . . . "

On the way to the townhouse, I had been thinking some things over. Things like making Holy Water, helping restless spirits cross over, and sprouting wings were kind of weird . . . . even for a half-demon . . . Truth be told, I was starting to get a little nervous and wicked worried over it.

I bit my lip nervously, and Alistair looked at me with concern. "Deal," he said, his brow furrowed.

I explained about what I had done in opening the demon time portal, how I was unable to remember the incantation, and what had happened since (leaving out certain things, of course). When I had finished, I started with my questions.

"Is . . . is it normal for a half-demon to be able to create . . . Holy Water?" I asked. "I've been doing that for years, and if I'm a half-demon, then that seems odd . . ."

Alistair's eyes widened. "Yes indeed," he said. "That is sometimes normal, dearie."

My heart lifted. "How about . . . being able to help wandering spirits cross over into the Otherworld?"

He nodded his head, and I became more relieved. "How about . . . this?"

I let my wings out and the rest of my form change. Some of my feathers fell to the floor, and the silver edging that was on them spread to the rest of the feathers, turning them completely silver. They made a SHING! sound then they hit the floor. My eyebrows shot up.

_Well,_ I thought. _That's new . . . ._

Alistair picked up one of the fallen feathers and examined it. He looked between the feather and I a couple of times. Then, he finally spoke.

"In all my years, I've only ever seen two others of your kind, my dear Chrissy . . . " he trailed off, then said, "This feather? It is now pure silver. But not just any kind of silver, dearie: Holy Silver. No demon can create it, let alone touch it. Only certain kinds of half-demons can."

I felt my mind going into overload. "W-what am I, exactly?" I asked, just completely done with life. _Just how many more shocks can I get?!_

Then, I cracked. I collapsed to my knees and started to bawl my eyes out in confusion and frustration. I hadn't realized how much I had been really holding in.

"Human? *sniff-hiccup* Demon? *hiccup* WHAT AM I?!" I sobbed.

I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking with my sobs and cries. All of a sudden, I felt warm arms wrap around me.

"Shhhh . . . ," said Alistair, rubbing my back comfortingly. "Don't be upset, Chrissy. This is a good thing. You want to know what you are? 'Ere's your answer: you, my dear, are an Angel of Hell. A TRUE avenging angel. You punish those who deserve punishment, and protect those who deserve to be protected. It is a rare occurrence among half-demons. After all, most demons are just fallen angels. The angel blood is there, it's just been corrupted."

I calmed myself down so I clould reason and speak rationally. I looked up at him. "But, why me? What makes me so damn special?"

He smiled mysteriously. "Christina," he said, surprising me with the use of my full name, "an Angel of Hell is unique."

"Huh?"

"It's mainly because of your faith," he added, gesturing to my now exposed pentacle. "Angels of Hell are people who have human and demon within their veins, but because of your pure soul and your faith, you are more powerful than other half-demons. Your faith and pure soul make the corrupted blood less unholy."

"Really? I guess that's . . . a good thing, right?" I asked.

"Yes, it is," he said, smiling. "And very good for the young lord if he has you to look after him."

I smiled and flushed a little. "Well, and I also think it will be good for Sebastian, too," I said in a whisper. "I think I might be ale to teach him to be more . . . . human."

He looked at me tenderly and wiped the reaming tears off my face with his sleeve. "Well, dearie, you are my responsibility," he said. "And I care about you; after nearly six millenia, I would think anyone would form an attachment. So, that being said," he added, becoming serious, "I hope you know that what you want to do will be very hard. And dangerous, possibly. I saw the way he looked at you, dearie. But," he added, noting my pouty expression, "I'll support ye."

I was so happy that I hugged him. "Thank you, Alistair," I murmured. I pulled back.

He chuckled. "Now, let's bring them in, shall we?" he said, grinning.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I nodded and went to the door. I opened it, smiling brightly. "You guys can come in now," I said.

Ciel, Madame Red, Grell, and Lau looked at me with surprise. "You made him laugh?" asked Ciel.

"You wound me, Ciel!" I said, pouting and placing a hand over my heart, faking pain. "Do you think I'm not funny? I can be bloody freakin' hilarious when I put some effort into it."

Ciel cringed a bit at my language, but still managed a half-smile. Everyone went inside, but Sebastian lagged behind, looking at me with concern.

_Shite,_ I thought. _He heard me crying . . . ._

"Don't ask," I murmured, smiling. "I got it all figured out, hon."

He remained silent, but nodded. With that, we joined everyone else inside.

As Alistair, or as the others knew him, Undertaker, told Ciel about the state of the bodies, I thought over what he had told me.

_Angel of Hell, huh?_ I mused. _It's too ironic: and Angel of Hell that's with a demon? And Mephistopheles, of all demons?_

I snorted quietly and shook my head slightly. _Great Mother, you certainly have one hell of a sense of humour._

I sighed. _But why must you be so damn complicated? _I asked mentally. _Why can't you just spell things out every once and a while?_

I sighed once more, and Sebastian looked at me. I felt the concern radiating off of him.

"I'm fine," I breathed, lighter than a kitten's footfall. "Just kinda rebuking my Goddess for being so damned cryptic."

Ciel's business with Alistair was done, so we filed out the door. Before I left, though, he caught my arm. I looked at him in question.

"If you ever need to defend yourself, dearie," he started, "use this."

He took a short, 6-inch metal rod out of one of his many pockets. It was maybe 1.75 inches thick; it was silver, and had designs at each end that resembled bones . . . hand and finger bones, if I was not mistaken.

_It's too dangerous to go alone,_ I thought. _Take this!_

I mentally chuckled and took it, slipping it into my cloak pocket. "Thank you, Alistair," I whispered.

He smiled. "And if you ever need 'elp, don't 'esitate to stop by, no matter the time," he said, petting my head.

I smiled back and went into the carriage. After Sebastian lifted me in, I sat next to Ciel and Sebastian sat next to me.

"What did he want?" asked Ciel as the carriage started moving.

"Oh, nothing," I said, shrugging. "He just told me to stop by anytime if I ever wanted to pick out my coffin early."

Ciel deadpanned. "He did what?"

I laughed. "Oh, it was fine, Ciel!" I said cheerfully. "Truth be told, I already know what I want my coffin to look like. It has to be made of black marble, and the inside must be fuschia satin stuffed with goose and swan feathers. And I HAVE TO be buried with a copy of Edgar Allen Poe's works. A bit fancy, yes, but . . . " I shrugged.

Madame Red looked a little weirded out. "Why on earth . . . ?"

"Would I have my funerary plans already laid out?" I finished for her. "One never knows when they are going to die, and I like to be prepared. Anyhow," I said, turning to Ciel and changing the subject, "have you narrowed down possible traits of the killer?" I tried to fight a smirk.

Ciel nodded and listed all of the criteria: upper-class, medical knowledge, and possible ties to any black magick clubs or occult interest groups.

I scoffed. "Damned pompous bastards," I muttered quietly. "They DARE to tarnish and ruin the practices of the Great Mother's followers?" I continued to grumble.

Sebastian gave me a small smirk of a smile, then said to everyone, "Well, given the criteria, I shall now take my leave and make a list of all possible suspects and any alibis they might have."

He opened the carriage door and paused, telling Grell to take care of us, then he left, Ciel waving him out.

"He does know we're moving, right?!" exclaimed Madame Red.

"Yeah, but he'll be fine," I said. "After all, like he always says, he is simply one _hell_ of a butler." I shared a smirk with Ciel, then stretched my arms out in front of me. "I hope he has some mint tea waiting for us when we get back."

Madame Red still looked skeptical. I grinned. "Believe me, my dear Angelina," I said, "when Sebastian says he'll do something, he does it. And he does it with perfect precision and absolute finesse."

We rode along for awhile, then came to a stop in front of the townhouse. Grell opened the door and everyone got out. As Grell held my hand and helped me step down, I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Grell," I said cheerfully. "You did very well."

"Th-thank you, Miss Rosenvlad," he said meekly.

"Call me Christina," I said. "And I'm sure Sebastian would be proud of you," I added, patting his arm.

His face lit up like a bloody Christmas tree and he smiled.

_Wait . . . huh?_

There was something off about his eyes; they went from a normal light green to and almost . . . iridescent green, then back again.

_No way . . ._ I thought. _He can't be . . ._

I shook it off and joined everyone else at the door. And lo and behold, Sebastian was there. I grinned up at him.

"Hi Sebastian!" I said. "Did you get the list?"

He smiled back and said, "Of course, Milady. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't do something so simple?"

Madame Red looked incredulous. "Be reasonable, Sebastian; there is no possible way-"

Sebastian cut her off by unrolling a long list of names and rattling off each one as he went, stating each of their alibis. Madame Red's hat went askew and her expression was literally this O_o .

"Given all of this," concluded Sebastian, "we can narrow it down to one suspect."

Madame Red composed herself. "Really, Sebastian, are you sure you're just a butler? Are you sure you're not a British Intelligence Officer?" she asked jokingly.

"No, Milady," he said, bowing. "I am simply just one _hell_ of a butler."

I smiled smugly, then smelled something familiar. I grinned and peeked around Sebastian. "Mint tea?" I asked excitedly.

"You are correct, My Lady," said Sebastian, smiling at me. "While tea is served, we can discuss what we must do."

~ Time Lapse - 3 hours later, in my room . . . ~

"A-Angelina!" I gasped. "I . . . I can't . . . BREATHE!"

"Oh, pish posh, Christina!" she said, tightening my corset even more. "A woman cannot go without a wasp waist!"

"W-well," I panted as she tied it, "this woman . . . *huff* could sure live *huff* without it!"

She ignored me and picked up my dress to ease it over my head. It was maroon in color, and made of silk. It had black lace accents at the sweetheart neckline and at the bodice, and the off-the-shoulder sleeves were made of the same lace. In the middle of the neckline was a black silk rose. The skirt was a little shorter than the black underskirt, so it was visible from the bottom.

All in all, it was a very pretty dress. And it actually made me look partially attractive!

"Whoa!" I said, looking in the mirror. "I look so . . . mature."

Angelina stepped back and surveyed me, smiling almost wistfully. "Indeed you do, Christina," she said. "It makes me wish I had a daughter . . . "

I furrowed my brow. As she put my wig on, which was black and had two high pigtails, I asked, "A-Angelina, if I may ask . . . why do you not have any children . . . ? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just curious . . ."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I was once married. I became pregnant, and my husband and I were happy. But," she added, looking somber, "there . . . there was a carriage accident . . . my husband didn't make it . . . and to save me, the doctors had to remove my . . . my uterus . . . "

I teared up. _Oh my Goddess. That's . . . that's so awful . . ._

I turned around and hugged her tightly. "I am so sorry, Angelina."

She hugged me back softly, and I decided that I would ask her a question that had been bothering me for quite some time.

"Angelina . . . you're a doctor, right?"

She backed up and looked at me quizzically. "Yes. Why? Do you not feel well?" she asked, putting her hand to my forehead.

I chuckled and moved her hand aside. "Not there," I said. "No, it's more of a . . . girl issue, if you get my meaning . . . or, lack of one, I should say . . . "

"You aren't pregnant, are you?" she asked sternly.

"Oh, no! Heavens, no!" I exclaimed turning beet red. "It kinda has something to do with that, though . . . "

She looked at me, waiting for me to elaborate.

"You see . . ." I started, sitting on the edge of my bed, "I haven't started to go through my . . . well, you know . . . yet, and I'm worried that I never will."

She smiled softly and sat next to me. "Don't worry, Christina," she said, putting an arm around me. "Every woman is different. You might just be a late bloomer in that one area. Heaven knows that you aren't in the others," she added, grinning mischieviously and she groped my boobs.

I laughed and hugged her again. "Thanks, Angelina. I needed to hear that," I said. I pulled back and got up, grabbing the black lace choker that went with the dress; it had a garnet dangling from it. I put it on, then turned to face her.

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," I said wryly.

~ Time Lapse - on the way to Druitt's manor . . . ~

My earlier conversation with Angelina had calmed my nerves a bit. With the discovery of what I was, I'd become afraid that my lack of . . . certain female functions . . . was something to be expected. But with her statement that I might just be a late bloomer running through my head, I felt loads better.

After all, I did want kids _someday._

"-ina . . . Christina . . . Christina!"

I snapped out of my daze and looked at Ciel. I smiled apologetically. "Sorry; kind of zoned out for a bit. What did you say?"

He sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You remember what you are supposed to do, correct?"

I nodded. The plan was that I, under the guise of being Angelina's adopted daughter, would catch the Viscount's attention and try to get some info out of him. Ciel, in his short black wig with emo bangs (to hide his eye, of course), would be posing as Sebastian's little brother. Sebastian would be posing as my "suitor" (I preferred the term "boyfriend," but whatevs). I'd allowed myself a small smile when Angelina had set that up. Something told me she had a feeling that Sebastian and I were together. Lau would be posing as her lover, and Grell would be her butler, as per usual.

"I just hope I'm able to wheedle the info out of him," I said, furrowing my brow. "And remind me, why am I the one who has to do it?"

"Why? Because word has it that the Viscount has an eye for anything young and pretty that wears a skirt," answered Angelina, wagging her eyebrows mischieviously. "And you definitely fit the bill, Christina!" She smiled at her logic.

I deadpanned. "How many times must I say that I'm not pretty . . . ?" I mumbled as I crossed my arms, which were encased in long black gloves that went about three inches past my elbows. "And this hat is itchy . . . and heavy . . . " I added, still grumbling.

And it was, too! I mean, seriously! I know I'm strong and all that, but no hat should weigh three to five pounds! Although . . . I have to admit, it was pretty . . .

It looked like one of those cool Steampunk hats. It was the same maroon color as my dress, and it had the same black lace accents along the edge. It also had a silver brooch on it shaped like a rose; attached to that was three medium-sized black, fluffy feathers which stood at an angle, tilting towards the back of the hat.

As I waved my black lace fan to ease my tension, Sebastian, who was sitting next to me and wearing a very nice black suit, leaned down and whispered, "Like it or not, my little dark angel, you ARE pretty. No; far more than merely pretty. And that dress you are wearing is making me go mad."

I rolled my eyes and blushed slightly. "Yes, you've told me this before, Sebastian," I whispered back, my tone a little sarcastic.

He sighed, but smiled slightly. "No matter how many times I have to say it, I will get you to believe that you are beautiful," he countered.

I blushed hotly and said nothing.

"Ah! It appears we are here," said Lau, looking out the window.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

We pulled up in front of the manor and stopped. Grell opened the door, and Ciel, Lau, and Sebastian got out first. Sebastian lifted me out by my waist, which made me smile slightly. Lau took Angelina's hand as she stepped out, and Sebastian placed my hand in the crook of his arm.

Ciel walked next to me and asked, "Have you thought of a way to attract the Viscount's attention?"

"You mean aside from the fact that this dress shows off a ton of cleavage?" I asked sarcastically, smirking. "Yes, I have."

Ciel cleared his throat and tried to hide his red face. "W-well? What is it?"

"Ah ah ah!" I said, putting my closed fan on his mouth. "It's a surprise. Even Sebastian doesn't know what it is."

Ciel glanced at Sebastian, and the latter nodded in confirmation. "She wouldn't tell me, my Lord," he said, sighing. "No matter what I did."

I blushed at the memory of his attempts at persuasion. _No! Bad girl! Get those images out of your head_! I chastised myself.

Still, the image of him running his hands up and down my thighs as he kissed and licked my neck flashed in my mind. I shivered, blushing darker.

Sebastian caught my eye and smirked. Then, weirdly, I heard his voice in my head saying, _We'll continue later, my little dark angel . . ._

We had reached the front doors at that point, and two servants opened them for us. I blinked to adjust to the light, and I saw men and women dressed the the nines all over the place. Even the servants looked dapper! Some guests were twirling on the dance floor, while others were socializing. One thing was certain, though.

"Holy shit, there's a LOT of people here," I muttered.

"Christina!" chastised Ciel, glancing sideways at me.

"Well, excuse me for speaking my mind, Your Royal Pain-in-the-Assness," I grumbled.

Sebastian coughed to disguise his laughter. Even Lau heard me and smiled. Said person leaned over and whispered to me, "Be careful of your sharp tongue, My Lady. You might mortally wound someone with it one day."

"If that is so, then that person would deserve it," I said, looking back at him. "And I'm not that mean, Lau."

"It's true," said Sebastian. "If her tongue were as sharp as you think, Mr. Lau, I would be unable to speak." He smirked, and I jabbed my elbow into his side.

"Asshat," I whispered affectionately as Angelina, Lau, and Grell went to another part of the room.

"Oh isn't that the Viscount Druitt?" I turned my head to listen to the woman who had spoken.

"He look's as beautiful as ever!" swooned another woman. "His hair shines like the sun . . . "

Sebastian, Ciel, and I looked over and saw a blonde man in a white uniform-ish outfit that had white fur lining the collar of the overcoat. His sunshine yellow hair was shoulder-length, and his merry eyes were an indigo color.

"Huh," I said. "He's kinda cute. My friend Jonna would totally be all over him like white on rice."

Sebastian glanced down at me and smirked coldly. "It seems a shame that he might Jack the Ripper, doesn't it?" he asked quietly.

"Calm down, hon," I said, smiling and hugging his arm slightly. "He's not my type; I don't do blondes."

He chuckled slightly and relaxed. Ciel looked between the two of us, his expression one of deep thought. Then, he finally asked, "Are you two together?"

I facepalmed and giggled. "Yes, Ciel. I hope you don't mind," I said, grinning.

Ciel then scowled. "No, it's fine . . . But damn it, I owe Lau three pounds now . . . " he muttered.

I deadpanned. "What? You made a bet?"

Sebastian chuckled. "Don't worry yourself about it, my little dark angel," he said. Then, he became serious. "You may want to implement your plan while the night is still young."

I nodded, setting my mouth into a grim line. I turned to Ciel. "You go over where Angelina is and keep an eye on everything from over there."

Ciel hesitated, then nodded. Before he left, he grabbed my arm and said, "Be careful."

As he made his way over to the male harem that Angelina had going on, I said to Sebastian, "Okay. Act one of the plan is to just dance and go by him a couple of times. That way, I'll grab his interest."

Sebastian smiled. "Of course, my dear."

He led me to the dance floor, and I spied Druitt standing on the edge of it. As we joined the dance, I whispered, "There he is."

Sebastian glanced up and then began to maneuver us over to where Druitt was standing. As we passed him, his indigo eyes came to rest on me, and they stayed on me. I smirked.

"Perfect," I muttered. "He's seen me. When this dance is over, it will be time for me to move into Act Two . . ."

Sebastian nodded and we kept dancing, passing by Druitt two more times. When the music stopped, I curtsied to Sebastian as he bowed to me. I straightened and said, "Time for Act Two."

I walked over to the musicians. Smiling, I asked the conductor, "If it's okay, and if I give you the notes, would you mind playing a song for me?" I added a touch of sweetness to my tone.

The conductor looked me over and smiled. "Of course, my Lady. I can't say no to such a pretty face," he said.

I thanked him and gave him and the musicians the notes. Once they had them down, I stood next to them and gestured for them to begin. After then intro, I started to sing. (*1)

"I will not make  
The same mistakes that you did.  
I will not let myself  
Cause my heart so much misery.  
I will not break  
The way you did  
You fell so hard.  
I've learned the hard way  
To never let it get that far~ . . ."

"Because of you,  
I never strayed too far from the sidewalk.  
Because of you,  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt.  
Because of you,  
I find it hard to trust not only me,  
But everyone around me.  
Because of you,  
I am afraid."

"I lose my way,  
And it's not too long before you  
Point it out.  
I cannot cry  
Because I know it's weakness  
In your eyes.  
I'm forced to fake  
A smile, a life,  
Every day of my life!  
My heart can't possibly break,  
When it wasn't even whole to start with~!"

"Because of you,  
I never strayed too far from the sidewalk.  
Because of you,  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt.  
Because of you,  
I find it hard to trust not only me,  
But everyone around me.  
Because of you,  
I am afraid."

"I watched you die  
I heard you cry  
Every night in your sleep.  
I was so young  
You should have known  
Better than to lean on me~.  
You never thought  
Of anyone else;  
You just saw your pain."

"And now I cry  
In the middle of the night  
For that same~ damn~ paaaaain~!"

"Because of you,  
I never strayed too far from the sidewalk.  
Because of you,  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt.  
Because of you,  
I find it hard to trust not only me,  
But everyone around me.  
Because of you,  
I am afraid~ . . ."

"Because of yooou~ . . .  
Because of yoooou~ . . ."

I finished the song and opened my eyes, not even realizing that I'd closed them. Applause surrounded me, and I had to blink a couple of times before remembering where I was. I smiled shyly and curtsied a little.

Thankfully, Sebastian was standing near the musicians and saved me from all of the attention by escorting me over to one of the food tables. Once there, he kissed my forehead.

"You did wonderfully, my dear," he murmured, his lips still on my forehead. He pulled back and smiled at me. "I believe the Young Master is proud of you as well."

I blushed and looked down, smiling. "W-well, I figured that doing that would catch Druitt's attention . . ." I muttered. All of a sudden, I heard clapping from behind me. I turned and saw said person standing there, looking at me appreciatively.

"You sing beautifully, my dear," he said. "You are like a night-feathered dove . . ."

Sebastian and I shared a quick glance, then he said, "I shall return in a few moments, my love. I must go check on my little brother." He kissed my hand and left.

_Time for Act Three,_ I thought.

I smiled at the Viscount. "Thank you, my Lord Druitt," I said, curtsying. "You are far too kind . . ."

"Nonsense, my little night-dove," he countered, taking my hand and kissing it lightly. "You have a beautiful voice."

"You flatter me, my lord," I said, pulling my hand back gently. I wiped it discreetly on the back of my dress. "Although, I must confess . . . I've been wanting to speak with you all night," I added, stepping closer to him.

He raised a brow, his gaze turning into a slight leer. "Really?"

"I've grown tired of dancing and eating," I said with a sad sigh. I looked up at him form under my eyelashes. "Do you have any other amusements that might catch my fancy, my Lord Druitt?"

"Hmmm . . . well, I do have one," he said, putting an arm around my waist. "However, what about your fiance, my little night-dove?"

"Oh . . . . him," I said, my eyes downcast. "He is quite droll, my lord. All he ever talks about is his little brother. He neglects me . . . and my needs . . . ," I added, making my eyes glisten.

"Now, that is just a crime," said Druitt indignantly. "A beautiful, dark dove such as yourself should be waited upon hand and foot . . . and taken care of," he added in a whisper, leaning down to nuzzle my hair.

I mentally squirmed at his closeness, but gritted my teeth. I breathed in and whispered, "Could you do that, my lord? Could you~?"

I felt his hand tighten slightly on my waist, then he breathed, "If my lady wishes it, then yes. But, who did you come with, my dear?"

"My new mother," I said, gesturing to Angelina and her man hoard.

"Ah . . . Madame Red," he said. I could feel him smirking. "And has she taught you . . . . anything?"

I leaned back and looked at him, smiling mischieviously. I whispered, "A few things . . . but I am always looking to learn anything new, my lord~ . . ."

"Can you keep a secret from your mother?" he asked. I nodded, and he smiled, his eyes full of heat. "Than come with me, my little night-dove . . ."

.

.

.

.

.

(*1 [A/N] This is the duet version that Reba did with Kelly; I like that version a lot, so I wanted to put it in here somehow ^_^)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Druitt led me to a tapestry and pulled it aside, revealing a hidden staircase that went down, down, down into darkness. He held my right hand in his left, and a candelabra in the other.

"This way, my darling," he said, letting the tapestry fall back into place.

I walked down the stairs with him_. Now for Act Four . . . , _I thought.

"My lord, I've heard that you know how to make a woman smile," I said. "Is that true?" I asked, tilting my head and making my tone innocent.

He smirked a little. "I try to make lovely ladies such as yourself smile . . . and much more."

We came to a stop at the bottom of the staircase and a large, ornate door was there. He opened it with a push, and we stepped inside.

_That's funny . . . ,_ I thought. _What's that . . . . smell . . . . ?_

I started to feel dizzy, and I started to fall. The last thing I heard was Druitt chuckling.

"You will be perfect, my dear night-dove . . . . Absolutely perfect . . . ."

~ Sebastian's P.o.V ~

As I watched the Viscount lead my dark angel away, I furrowed my brow. I looked down at the Young Master, awaiting his orders.

He had seen the entire thing, and now said, "If she is not back in twenty minutes," he said, "find her. That is an order."

His tone was clipped and hard. I smiled to myself. "Yes, my lord," I said. "Could it be that you are worried about her, Young Master?"

He glanced at me sharply. "Shut up. Just as you are my knight in this game, she is my Black Queen," he murmured. "It is a King's duty to worry about his queen."

"So, she has grown on you as well," I noted, wondering if he was attracted to my dark angel as well.

"Perhaps," he conceded, his eyes narrowing. "I do not know how to explain it . . . but I feel like I know her from somewhere . . ."

I said nothing to that and turned my gaze to the hidden door where my dark angel had disappeared.

~ My P.o.V ~

I drifted in the darkness, only vaguely aware of myself. Then, a slight THUMP! and CLICK! made me awaken. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see anything.

_He must've blindfolded me,_ I thought. _That fucking PRICK!_

I also realized that I was laying on a table of some sort, with a sheet covering me. After a moment, I realized something.

_Okay, WHERE THE FUCK IS MY DRESS?!_ I screamed in my head. _And my petticoats, for that matter!_

I could feel that my choker, boots, stockings, drawers, corset, and chemise were still on me, but the rest was gone. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they were shackled down by leather cuffs. I then felt the table move as if it was on wheels, and I began to hear low voices. I felt myself go under a bright light,then the table was lifted so that I was upright. The sheet fell away, and I heard gasps and murmurs of approval.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" called the Viscount, who I felt standing near me. "I present to you our dear, sweet virgin for tonight's ritual: the Holy Heiros Gamos!"

I turned to ice at his words. _No no no no NO! _I thought. _I'm gonna be used in a twisted version of the holy sex ritual?!_

I started to struggle in my bonds, and the Viscount and the crowd chuckled. My blindfold was removed, and I blinked. When my vision had adjusted, I saw that the crowd was made up of men and women who were well-dressed and wearing masks. I looked over at the Viscount and saw that he had a sheer, black, Zorro-like mask on.

"You will regret it if you even DARE to lay a hand on me," I hissed between clenched teeth.

I felt my eyes change, and the everyone gasped. The Viscount was the first to recover. "It seems you are more than you appear, my dear night-dove," he said, stroking my thigh.

"Don't. TOUCH me," I growled. "How dare you pervert and twist the holy rite of Heiros Gamos! I hope the Great Mother reincarnates you into a fucking DOG!"

The slap came so fast I didn't even see it coming. I hissed in pain, my left cheek throbbing and stinging.

"Such foul language," said Druitt, shaking his head. The table was lowered to it's original position so that I was horizontal once more. He pulled out a jeweled dagger and cut the front of my corset from top to bottom, leaving my chemise. He caressed my stomach, working his way up to my breasts.

"You will enjoy this; just relax, my sweet, virginal night-dove . . ."

I was this close to going into a panic. I tried to summon my strength and my wings, but the drug from earlier was still in my system.

_Oh dammit!_ I screamed mentally. _SEBASTIAN! HELP ME!_

**_Of course, my little dark angel . . ._**

The candles went out and everyone panicked. The sound of blows landing filled the room. Then, as soon as it was silent, the candles flickered back to life. I looked over and saw Sebastian and Ciel standing a few feet away from me.

"Sebastian . . . ." I said, sighing with relief.

He hurried over and broke my shackles. I sat up slowly with his help, my arms and legs stiff and slightly numb. Even so, I pulled him closer so I could wrap my arms around his waist and breathe in his scent. As Sebastian put his arms around my shoulders, Ciel came over and looked at me, concern filling his eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, his tone hard.

"Not . . . . really," I said.

Sebastian pulled away gently and took off his coat, putting it around my shoulders. He met my gaze, and I saw that his eyes were glowing red. He frowned, then looked at my left cheek. He caressed it lightly, and I grimaced in pain.

"Did he slap you?" he asked, his tone barely hiding his anger.

I nodded slightly, and a black, phantasmic aura surrounded him. He turned to the unconscious Viscount and was about to pick him up, but Ciel stopped him.

"Sebastian, leave it," he said. "The Yard is on their way; our job here is done. We need to get Christina home."

Sebastian's black aura slowly dissipated. He turned back to us and glared slightly at Ciel, then looked at me tenderly. He sighed.

"Yes, my lord."

He came over and picked me up in one arm and Ciel in the other. He leaped out of the window and landed on the rooftop. We continued on like this all the way back to the townhouse. When we went through the front door, Sebastian put Ciel down. Ciel took off his wig, and I eased mine off as well, tossing it aside weakly. I yawned and laid my head on Sebastian's shoulder.

"So . . . . tired . . . ." I mumbled, falling asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

~ Sebastian's P.o.V ~

As Christina drifted to sleep, I looked at the Young Master. "I will put her to bed, my lord," I said, "then I will attend to you."

He waved me off. "Just . . . go take care of her. I'm ging to wait up for Madame Red and Lau," he said, turning and walking into the sitting room.

I sighed and smiled. _Thank you, my lord . . ._

I carried my dark angel upstairs and into her room. I gently undressed her, keeping my eyes closed and leaving her drawers on her. I slipped her nightgown over her head and laid her underneath the covers, tucking her in. Her long, midnight brown hair flared around her, framing her serene porcelain face. I sighed and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Do not do that to me ever again," I said quietly.

When the twenty minutes had passed by with no sign of Christina earlier, I had become even more worried. The Young Master and I searched for her frantically. When we discovered the door at the foot of the hidden staircase, could smell the remains of sleeping gas.

We continued and found ourselves in a corridor. Opening the first door we came to, we saw a long table with Christina's hat, dress, and petticoats laid out on it. It was at that moment when I heard her voice inside my head.

**_SEBASTIAN! HELP ME!_**

I had been so relieved to know that she was alive. _Of course, my little dark angel . . ._

I grabbed the Young Master and rushed to where here voice was emanating from. Upon entering the room, I darkened it and knocked out everyone present. When I'd allowed the light to return, I saw the full extent of what had happened to Christina.

She had been shackled to a ceremonial table clad only in her choker, chemise, drawers, stockings, and boots; her arms and legs were spread apart. From the way the stage had been set up, it had looked like they were going to use her in some sort of "holy" ritual. Hmph. Humans.

I am slightly ashamed to admit that the sight of her pinioned like that aroused me. The things I could've done . . . .

However, upon noticing that she had been slapped . . . . Oh, how I had wanted to kill that pathetic excuse for a life form. How DARE he harm what was MINE!

As I came back to that present moment, Christina began to whimper in her sleep. Her expression changed from serene to pained. When I went to stroke her forehead to comfort her, she woke up, grabbed my wrist, and then pinned me to the floor, her wings appearing as she straddled me.

She looked down at me with unfocussed eyes as she panted. When her eyes cleared, she blinked and blushed, her wings folding back into her spine.

"I didn't know you enjoyed being on top, my dear," I said, smirking.

She turned even more red and looked away, letting go of my wrists. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Nightmare . . . "

I furrowed my brow as she got up and went back into bed. I stood and sat back down in my original spot. "What happened?" I asked.

She hesitated, then said, "I was back on that table . . . . and they . . . . he . . . . was performing the ritual that he'd wanted me for . . . ." She shuddered, hugging her chest and biting her lip.

"What was the ritual?" I asked, becoming both angry and worried.

She looked at me, then looked away. "Heiros . . . . Gamos . . . ." she mumbled. "A twisted version of Heiros Gamos . . . . the holy ritual of the unity of masculine and feminine energy . . . ."

I gripped the blankets and tried to breathe slowly, attempting to reign in my fury.

"The sex ritual?" I asked, my throat tight.

She nodded, then looked at me. Her expression became alarmed. "Sebastian, Sebastian, calm down!" she said, sitting up and placing her hands on my shoulders gently. "It's okay, hon! I'm fine! It's okay."

She caressed my face, and I relaxed under her soft hands. I sighed, closing my eyes.

"There; much better," she murmured. "Now you don't look like a demonic version of a black hole . . . ."

I opened my eyes and looked at her questioningly. "Black hole?"

"Oh yeah . . . they haven't been discovered yet, have they?" she asked. "Well, a black hole is this thing in space that is pretty much a hole in the universe. It sucks in everything, and it literally looks like a pitch-black void."

"Interesting," I said. I studied her thoroughly, wondering if she was really okay.

She smiled at me softly. "Sebastian, don't worry. I'm fine; I'm a tough girl," she said, putting her forehead against mine. "Once I have a nightmare about a bad experience, I usually get over it. And I'm halfway there already, hon. Although . . . ." she trailed off, shuddering slightly.

"Although?" I prompted.

"I . . . I can still kinda feel his hands on my legs . . . and stomach . . . and . . . and my chest," she said, avoiding my gaze and blushing.

I tensed. _He DARED to touch her in such a way?!_ I thought to myself. _It is no wonder why she is having nightmares, then . . . . I hope I am allowed to torture him when he finally dies and goes to Hell . . ._

I then got an idea, but it was slightly risky. "Christina," I said. "My dear, dark angel . . . ."

She looked up at me, confused. "Yes?" she asked, her voice resonating with her innocence. It was . . . precious.

I took her face in my hands and kissed her softly, running my tongue over her lips lightly. When she gasped, I slipped my tongue inside her moist cavern. She tasted of purity and darkness all at once. It was intoxicating . . . .

I pulled back when I sensed she needed air. I breathed heavily, still drunk off of her taste. "Let me take away the memory of his disgusting touch, my darling dark angel . . . my Christina . . ." I breathed, looking into her gray-green eyes; they reminded me of a sea before the storm. Calm, yet hiding something underneath their depths.

She was panting heavily, her face flushed. She waited a moment before saying, "Please . . . do it. I don't want to feel his hands anymore. However," she added, her face becoming stern, "no sex, hon . . . not yet . . ."

I chuckled and tucked an unruly strand of her hair behind her ear. "I will behave myself," I said, smirking.

"Good," she breathed, putting her arms about my neck. She gave me a quick kiss, then stroked the collar of my shirt. "Will you take this off, please? It's in the way . . ." she breathed.

I inhaled sharply and tightened my hold on her waist. "Yes, my dark angel," I whispered, my voice husky.

I drew back and took off my loves with my teeth. I heard Christina's pulse quicken as she watched my every move. Next, I draped my vest over her foot board; my tie and shirt followed soon after.

Her eyes roamed over me, and I felt that familiar smugness I got whenever anyone looked at me with desire. However, it was different for Christina. I felt smug about the fact that only I could make her react this way. Only ME.

I moved closer to her and bade her to lie down. She did so, and I lowered myself on top of her; I propped myself up in my arms and knees to keep the bulk of my weight off of her. I kissed her once more, gently nibbling and sucking on her lower lip.

She mewled beneath me, squirming and putting a hand on the back of my neck to pull me closer. After a moment, I pulled back to look at her.

"I believe the first place was your legs, correct?" I asked, smirking.

She nodded, her eyes cloudy. I eased my way back, then I slowly pushed the hem of her nightgown upwards. As I did, I planted light kisses on her ivory skin as more of her legs were exposed. I heard her sigh contentedly.

When I came to her thighs, I let my lips linger with each kiss. Her nightgown was now bunched around her hips, just above her drawers. Her sighs turned into gasps.

"Ah! Se-Sebas- . . . Sebastian . . ."

As my kisses moved higher, the scent of her rushing hormones became stronger. I chuckled and smirked. "Next was your stomach, I believe?" I asked, my lips still against her skin.

"Ye-yes," she panted.

I pushed her nightgown even higher and resumed kissing her smooth skin. As I did so, her gasps turned into husky giggles. "Hahaha! That tickles . . ." she whispered, squirming.

"Heh. My sincerest apologies," I said, laughing a little myself. "Now, I believe the final spot was . . . . your chest, correct?"

"Mhmm," she hummed.

I lifted my head so I could see her face, and I slowly lifted her nightgown, watching her expression. At the slightest indication that she had wanted me to stop, I would have. However, her face remained the same: flushed cheeks, and cloudy eyes filled with lust . . . . and something else I could not recognize.

When her chest was fully exposed, she surprised me by fully taking off her nightgown. At my questioning gaze, she just smiled mischieviously.

"Might as well," she said, her voice still husky. "It seems only fair, since you're shirtless . . ."

I growled low in my throat and kissed her fiercely, my hands moving to caress her breasts. She mewled at my ministrations, then did something that nearly sent me into a frenzy.

She began to purr.

My thighs twitched and I pulled back to look at her; her eyes were closed, and her head was thrown back, exposing her swan-like neck. And yes, she was purring like a little cat. As I kneaded and squeezed her breasts, I noticed that they fit perfectly in my hands, as if they were made for me. Her hips jerked up every few moments, and I kept mine out of reach. I feared that if she made contact, I wouldn't be able to control myself.

"Ah . . . . Sebastian . . . . Sebastian," she sighed. She pulled me close and hugged me. "That's enough for now, hon. We don't want to get too far gone, heh," she whispered. "Will . . . will you stay with me again tonight?"

I hugged her back, her breasts flattening against my chest. "Of course," I breathed. I turned us so we were laying on our sides. I looked upon her flushed countenance, and something stirred in my chest.

_What is this bizarre feeling?_ I wondered. _I feel so . . . . strange . . ._

She put a hand on my cheek and smiled. "Good night, Sebastian," she said. "No . . . . my darling Mephistopheles."

With that, she closed her eyes and fell fast asleep. Hearing my true name come form her lips was like music to me. I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Good night, my dark angel . . . . my Christina . . . ."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

What woke me was the music and the soft chuckling from beside me. I groaned and opened my eyes groggily. When I looked next to me, the sight I beheld surprised me immensely.

There, sitting up next to me, was Sebastian, holding my iPhone and listening to "Numa Numa."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "Ugh . . . what time is it?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Five forty-eight," answered Sebastian, glancing over at me and smirking.

I glanced down and blushed, remembering that I was half-naked . . . and what happened last night. I grabbed my nightgown and quickley slipped it on. Sebastian laughed and put an arm around my waist, holding iPhone in his free hand.

"Shut up," I mumbled. "So, you've been snooping in my music?" I asked, quirking my brow.

He shrugged. "I was curious about you," he said simply. Then, he grinned at me. "You have some interesting tastes in music, my dark angel."

"Yeah, I know," I said, giggling. "This song is one of my favorites. 'Numa Numa' came out in 2005 or something. I once had it stuck in my head for three days straight. That and 'PONPONPON.' Those two songs are just so damn catchy."

"Yes, I listened to that one about an hour ago," he said. "I can see how that would get 'stuck in your head,' as you say."

I laughed. "Yeah. It doesn't help that I know the dance that goes to it," I said. "Everytime I hear it, I'm hard-pressed not to do it. It's just too fun for my own good."

The song then changed to Sarah McLachlan's "When She Loved Me." When Sarah started singing, I closed my eyes and sang with her. This song always reminded me of the time when I was with Callista, my first girlfriend. As such, I wasn't that surprised when I felt tears start to fall down my face.

"Aw crap," I muttered, reaching to wipe my face.

However, Sebastian beat me to it and wiped my tears away gently. "What's wrong?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

I waved my hand nonchalantly. "Oh, it's just this song. It reminds me of my first girlfriend," I explained. "I was with her for about seven months, then I had to move back to where I was living before I met her." I sighed, smiling wistfully. "She was my first female love . . . ."

"You are attracted to women?" asked Sebastian, his surprise evident.

"Yes. I am what people in my time call a 'bisexual.' I am attracted to both men and women," I said. I looked at him, a little nervous. "I . . . I hope you don't mind . . . ."

"Not at all," he said. "Demons are the same; gender does not matter when we choose a mate. I was just a little surprised. Humans who have those sexual deviances in this time do not speak of it or admit it to anyone."

"My time period is different; there's a lot more tolerance and acceptance of people who are attracted to people of the same gender or both genders," I said. "I wish humans thought the same way you demons do when it comes to mating, or marriage, as they would call it. Then they would be a lot more open about things like sex and their bodies. Although there's more acceptance of stuff in my time, there are still some boundaries. Not as many as there are these days, though."

The song then changed to "Monochrome no KISS," and I had to laugh.

"Ah . . . this is ironic," I said.

"What is?" asked Sebastian.

"Okay, this song?" I said. "This song is the intro theme for the anime that's about all of . . . this." I gestured all around me.

"Anime? What is that?" he asked.

"Oh my god, don't even get me started, cuz I won't be able to shut up," I said, grinning.

I spent a good half an hour telling him what anime was and where it came from. When I finished, I said, "And there are even clubs dedicated to it, too! I'm a part of my school's Anime Club. I'm actually the Secretary," I added, proud of myself. "I keep track of all the club's happenings, the countdown to Anime Boston, and how many members can go to Anime Boston."

"And before you ask," I added, "Anime Boston is an anime convention that takes place in Boston, Massachusetts every year. We try to raise enough money to go for all three days, but it's never been done before." I sighed sadly, then brightened.

"But this time, we're gonna do it! I can feel it in my bones!" I said, all fired up. "Since I'll be graduating, I want to be able to get all of my friends to Anime Boston for all three days! It's one of my very few concrete goals in life," I admitted, chuckling. "Aside from college and buying my mom her own house someday, that is."

Sebastian looked at me with a small smile on his face. "I can tell that you care a great deal about this club of your's," he said. "I've never seen you get this excited about something."

"Of course I care about them, silly!" I said, smiling brightly. "They're like a family to me. Mrs. Horn, our teacher advisor, is like the family matriarch. Norman, our President, is like the dad; I'm like the mom; James, the Vice President, is like the annoying and obnoxious uncle that everyone loves to hate; and Eian, our Treasurer, is like that cousin everyone forgets they have, but are wicked happy to be related to. All of the other members are like our kids, especially since most of them are between two or five years younger than us."

I sighed contentedly. "They give me support, a shoulder to cry on, and Norman is like my big brother; he gives the best advice," I said. "They're my best friends, and I love 'em. Except for James; he's an ass."

The grandfather clock downstairs chimed seven o'clock, making me jump a little in surprise. Sebastian chuckled and kissed my cheek.

"I need to go prepare for the day, my dear," he said, getting out of bed and handing me my iPhone. I got out of bed as well, turning it off.

"Let me help you," I said. "I know how to do housework and cook. Just let me get dressed real quick."

"You don't have to trouble yourse-"

"Sebastian, "I said, "I. Don't. Mind. Just let me help you. I'll get bored sitting up here all by myself."

I went to my wardrobe and pulled out a light blue dress with three-quarter sleeves and a flowy skirt. I stripped off my nightgown and pulled on my chemise. As I hooked my corset, Sebastian sighed.

"I suppose you can help me," he said, coming up behind me and tying my corset strings. "Since you seem so dead set on it."

I laughed. "I'm pretty stubborn, Sebastian," I said, putting on my petticoats. "Except my kind of stubbornness can be compared to running water: I wear away slowly at a person, taking away each layer one by one. Plus, no one can resist me when I use my 'pleading kitten' eyes."

I pulled my dress over my head, then let Sebastian button it up. As he helped me with my stockings and boots, he said, "Pleading kitten eyes? I would love to see them." He smirked at me and stood when he was done.

I grinned. "Okay, but be warned: your reaction may consist of an uncontrolable 'aw!' and I may possibly want to make you cuddle me and not let go."

He smirked more. "You already make me want to cuddle you on a daily basis, my dark angel."

I blushed slightly, then proceeded to make the "pleading kitten" face. I widened my eyes and made them dialate, then jutted out my bottom lip into a slight pout. To complete the look, I gazed at him from under my eyelashes.

He seemed shocked and speechless, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. Then next thing I knew, he was hugging me and nuzzling my hair.

"So . . . . adorable . . . ." he murmured.

I giggled and gently nudged him away. "I told you so, hon. Now, let's get crackin' on making breakfast," I said, grabbing my iPhone. "I'm starving."

~ Time Lapse - down in the kitchen ~

When we got down into the kitchen, I turned my iPhone back on and put on some upbeat Nightcore music. Sebastian looked at me in amusement.

"What? I like to listen to music while I work," I said. "It motivates me and puts me in a cheery mood." I tucked it under my corset, right in between my boobs.

He chuckled and instructed me to set out the dishes on the dining room table. I did as he said and resisted the urge to dance to Nightcore's version of "Only Girl." I mouthed the words as I set the table. As I moved around the table, I twirled with the chorus, quietly singing along with it.

"Want you to make me feel, like I'm the only girl in the world~. Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love~. Like I'm the only one who knows your heaaart~. The only one."

I finally gave in to the urge to dance to the music and threw my hands up in the air. The song ended, shifting into Nightcore's remix of "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid." I sang with the music and pulled a total dork move by doing an air guitar. Soon, I was swaying my hips to the beat and even miming a mic. When that song ended, I heard a quiet chuckle and clapping form behind me.

I spun around in shock, my hand flying to my throat. Sure enough, Sebastina was standing there, a look of amusement on his face. I blushed in embarassment and turned off my iPhone, tucking it into my dress pocket.

"Jesus Christ, Sebastian," I mumbled. "Don't startle me like that . . . I get real focussed when I listen to music . . . or when I read or do my artwork . . ."

"My apologies," he said, smirking. "I could not help myself from watching you."

I grumbled nonsense for a moment, then said, "A-anyways, what's on the menu this morning?"

"I was actually wondering what you would like to have," he said, surprising me.

"Me?" I asked. "I'll eat almost anything, hon. But . . . now that you mention it," I added, my voice getting quiet, "I . . . I would love it if you could possibly make some crepes. With strawberries and bananas? Pretty please? My grampa likes to make them for me . . . ."

"Of course," he said, coming over and leading me into the kitchen. He sat me down on a high stool and set to work. As he did, he asked, "What is your family like?"

I looked up in surprise. "Uhm, well, I have a little sister. Her name is Alexis, and she is one hell of a troublemaker. She's going to be eight, and she's as stubborn as a goat." I chuckled. "She has brown eyes like our mom, but the rest of her physical appearance comes from her father," I said, making the word "father" sound like an expletive.

"You do not approve of him?" he asked, looking over at me as he stirred the batter.

I gave him a look. "Let's just say that for five years, I lived in my own personal hell; that's how long my mom was with him. He married her about two years after they met, and she divorced him three years ago after kicking his Frenchman ass out of the house. He better hope that I never see him again, or I swear by all things holy and unholy that he WILL pay for what he did to me and my mom."

I gripped my arms tightly as I crossed them. Sebastian peered at me. "What did he do, if I may so bold as to ask?"

I set my mouth in a firm line. "He emotionally, mentally, verbally, and even pysically abused me, and did all but the last to my mom. He made me feel like complete shit ninety percent of the time. It even got so bad a couple of times that I considered running away or even committing suicide," I admitted. "Then, something happened the summer after I turned thirteen that REALLY crossed the fucking line. As such, my mom finally kicked that fucking bastard asswhore out, and I haven't seen him since."

I saw the obvious follow-up question coming, but I cut Sebastian off as he began to open his mouth to ask it. "I don't want to tell you what happened yet; talking about it makes me relive it, and I really don't want to go back to that day . . . ."

He looked at me for a second, then nodded. "I can respect that," he said, preparing to cut up the fruit. "You mentioned your mother quite a lot; what is she like?"

I smiled. "My mom is the best person in the world! After all, she did give birth to me; my awesomeness had to come from somewhere," I said, snorting a laugh. "But seriously, though; even though I love her to death, I really want to strangle her at times. But that's how all kids are with their parents. She's been the one thing in my life that has stayed constant."

"She's a good listener, and always makes me feel better when I'm sad. She can also act like a total teenager at times, especially when it comes to guys and all that stuff." I grinned. "However, she is NOT above literally kicking me in the ass when I do something wrong. And at the same time, she'd fight to the death for me or Alexis, and I'd do the same for her. After all, she's the only person who's ever really been there for me; plus, she's my mom. How could I not love her?"

"Appearance-wise, she has auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes. She's also wicked short; only four foot eleven. No one really notices, though, when she smiles; it lights up a room," I concluded.

He stayed quiet for a bit, then started asking me even more questions about myself. Things like my favorite flower, gemstone, season, and even colors. I was a little confused by this sudden interest in me, but pleasantly so. As such, I answered each question as soon as he'd asked it: I like roses, lilies, and lotuses. Moonstones, garnets, obsidian, pearls, amethysts, and aquamarines are my favorites. Autumn is the best season; it has Halloween in it! All colors of the rainbow, and even those not in the normal spectrum, were beautiful to me.

As he started to fry the crepes, he said, "You mentioned wanting to go to college. Where do you want to go?"

I straightened proudly. "You are looking at a girl who has been accepted to the prestigious Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire," I said, grinning. "I'm going to major in Graphic Arts and have a double minor in Writing for Publication and History."

Sebastian smiled as his eyebrows shot up. "Congratulations, my dear," he said. "Your fields of study make for an interesting combination; just what do you plan on doing after you graduate?"

"I'm going to be a graphic novelist," I said, gazing off into the distance. "I'm mainly going to write historical fiction, but I'll have a hint of the supernatural in each book. My faves would have to be vampires, werewolves, faeries, and," I paused, chuckling, "angels and demons." I smirked. " 'Tis quite ironic, isn't it . . . . Mephistopheles?" I asked, laughing a little.

He smirked, plating the finished the crepes. "Indeed , my dark angel," he said, chuckling.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As everyone sat around the table eating breakfast, I chatted with Angelina and got to know her better. She had been worried last night when I had disappeared, and was relieved to see that I was okay. Her and I got along swimmingly; she was almost like an indulgent older sister. As I laughed at one of her many tales of her romantic escapades, Lau perked up a bit in his seat.

"Oh, by the way, you should see this, my lord," he said, producing the morning paper and placing it in front of Ciel. The bluenette glanced at it, and his eyes widened.

"What?!" he exclaimed angrily, standing abruptly.

"What's wrong, Ciel?" I asked, alarmed by his sudden outburst, although I had a feeling why . . .

"It seems another prostitute was murdered, my lady," said Lau when Ciel remained silent. "I guess the Viscount wasn't the murderer . . . ."

Ciel pounded his fists on the table and gritted his teeth angrily.

"What?!" I exclaimed. I was still slightly shocked, even though I'd had a feeling that that was the case. "Verdammt!" I swore in German, rising abruptly to pace around the room. "Was zum Teufel?! What did we miss?!"

As I passed Grell, who was standing off to the side, I smelled something that stopped me in my tracks.

_Blood,_ I thought. _He has the scent of fresh blood on him . . . but not too fresh. Maybe only seven to eight hours old . . ._

"Did they say when she was murdered? I mean, the estimated time?" I asked, facing the table.

Lau read the article, saying, "It says here that she must have been murdered a little after midnight, since she was found at one in the morning and was still pretty warm." He then turned his gaze to me. "What are you getting at, my lady?"

_Oh God . . . almost exactly eight hours ago,_ I thought. _But why would he . . . ?_

"N-nothing, Lau," I said. "And, please, just call me Christina."

Ciel snapped out of his angry daze. "Sebastian, get the suspect list!" he said. Then, he looked at me. "Christina, do you know anything that could help?"

I glanced over at Grell, then looked back at Ciel. "Not yet," I said. "But if you'll let me see the article, I could probably come up with my own analysis on the killer's personality."

He handed me the paper and said, "Go work on that in the library. Come see me when you are done."

"Yes, Ciel," I said, nodding.

~ Time Lapse - five hours later . . . ~

I sat in a comfy chair in the library, rereading the article for probably the 25th time. I had a piece of paper in front of me with a list of characteristics that I had come up with.

"But why do they contradict each other?" I muttered. I thought for a moment, then it hit me.

"Of course!" I said, sitting up straighter. I flipped the paper over and drew a line down the middle. On each side, I listed the opposing characteristics. As I scribbled this all down, a knock sounded on the door.

Without looking up, I said, "Come in if you dare."

The door opened and Angelina walked in, chuckling. "Come in if you dare?" she asked, giggling.

I stuck my tongue out at her playfully. "That's what I say at home whenever someone knocks on my door and I'm working really hard on something," I explained.

She laughed some more and took the chair across from me. "What have you come up with so far?" she asked.

I grinned. "Something really interesting," I answered. "But you'll have to wait to hear it; Ciel wanted me to tell him first."

_And I really don't want to bring up certain accusations that I have for your butler,_ I added mentally.

"You're no fun," pouted Angelina. "And here I was going to ask you if you wanted to take a break and play chess with me . . . ."

I giggled. "I'd love to, Angie," I said, using the nickname that I'd given her earlier.

I grabbed my stuff and followed her to the game room, where she had the chess board already set up. I sat in the chair on the black side.

Angelina looked at me in surprise. "I figured that you would want to be white," she said, sitting in the other chair.

I shook my head. "I'm ALWAYS black," I said. "White might move first, but that just means that white is more predictable. Plus," I added, a secretive smirk forming on my face, "black suits me far better than white for many reasons."

She chuckled, moving a pawn. "You sound just like Ciel," she said. "He's an excellent chess player."

"So am I," I said. "Or, at least that's what everyone tells me," I amended, moving one of my pawns as well. "I usually put people into checkmate in about 20 moves or less, depending on who I'm playing."

"I guess I better be careful, then," said Angelina in mock solemnity, moving another pawn.

I smirked, taking her pawn with my bishop. "You'd better."

Just then, Ciel walked in, Sebastian behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked sternly. "I thought I told you to work on the case."

"I finished, Your Royal Pain in the Ass-ness," I said sassily. "At the moment, I'm in the process of kicking Angie's butt at chess." I stuck my tongue out at him.

His brow twitched in irritation. "I told you to come see me when you were done."

"Oh, chill. This won't take long," I said. "I always win at chess in 20 moves or less."

Angelina moved her knight and said, "And Ciel, she was in the library for five hours. I figured that she could use a break."

I moved another pawn, and Ciel sighed. "Fine," he conceded. "But I will hold you to that 20 move guarantee," he added, smirking.

"Go ahead, Ciel," I said, grinning.

Sure enough, 17 moves later, I was smiling smugly and Angelina.

"Check. Mate," I said.

Both Angelina and Ciel stared at the board in shock; even Sebastian seemed a little surprised. The former two looked at me.

"How on earth did you do that?" asked Angelina. "Not even Ciel can do that! Well, at least not without cheating," she amended, chuckling at the dark look the boy shot her.

I shrugged. "I just know how to read people," I said. "I could tell how you would play based off of your body language and your personality, Angie. First, you went through the basic moves; then you tried to use tricky and manipulative ones. The way I play, however, is erratic and always changing; basic one moment, sneaky the next. You want to try and out-maneuver your opponent, not take all of their pieces."

"It's all about battle strategy," I added, tapping my temple. "Battle strategy, and the ability to detect any and all weaknesses in your opponent, then use those weaknesses against them."

"You're ruthless," chuckled Angelina. "I would hate to fight you in a real battle."

I giggled. "Nah, I just like to win. I'm insanely competitive," I said, getting up. "I try my damnedest to win at games . . . no matter the cost. You should see me in a fist fight; I'm pretty scary."

"You've been in a fist fight before?" asked Ciel incredulously. "Women don't fight with their fists!"

"In my opinion, only REAL women fight with their fists . . . and anything else at their disposal," I said, shrugging. "And to answer your question, yes, I have been in a fight before. Some stupid boy kept making fun of one of my closest friends, so I took care of it."

They all just looked at me.

"What? He deserved it," I mumbled. "That prick even had the gall to try and punch me in the FACE! You NEVER hit a woman in the face! So for that," I continued, laughing, "I kicked him between the legs, kneed him in the face as he doubled over in pain, then whacked him upside the head with my history textbook." I chuckled. "I got into sooooo much trouble . . . but it was totally worth it. I never had to see one of my bestest friends cry ever again."

Angelina just stared at me for a little longer, then doubled over in laughter. "HAHAHA! Y-you truly are something . . . PFFFT! S-something else, Christina! HAHAHAHA!"

Ciel cleared his throat. "Anyhow, what were you able to find in your analysis, Christina?"

"Oh!" I said. I took my paper out of my dress pocket and unfolded it. "I discovered something very interesting," I said. "Reading the article, paired with my . . . . previous knowledge on the case and what A-, I mean, Undertaker, said about the state of the bodies, I was able to come up with some personality characteristics of the killers."

"Wait, _killers_?" asked Ciel.

"Indeed: _killers_," I said, nodding. "Two, to be exact. You see," I added, handing him my notes, "I pulled out various personality characteristics. However, they clash and contradict each other. When I noticed this, I thought about it and then it hit me: there must be two killers."

"One of them," I continued, "has a love for flair and drama. All of the crime scenes were absolutely gorey in the extreme, suggesting that this person wanted to made infamous. Also, since the women all had additional cuts and lacerations on them aside from the incisions used to remove their uteruses, this person may have a blood fetish; blood was all over every single crime scene, coating nearly everything in sight. This could also mean that this person has a sick and twisted love of seeing people covered in blood."

"The other killer, however," I said, pointing to the other column of notes, "is very secretive and may or may not have a little bit of guilt over doing this. At the same time, the surgical cuts were precise and without hesitation, indicating that there may be a personal reason behind committing these murders. Ergo, I think this killer is a woman for sure. Women take things a lot more personally than men do, and we are a lot more suave when it comes to exacting revenge."

"And that's what I found," I concluded, feeling proud of myself. "Take THAT, Sherlock Holmes!"

Ciel looked at the paper, then back at me. "I must say, I am a little surprised you were able to uncover so much," he said. He gave me a half-smile. "This is helpful."

"Aw, don't mention it!" I said, hugging him suddenly. "How could I have said no to you? You're just so ADORABLE!"

"My my, Earl. I didn't know you were starting to get an interest in women already. But I suppose that you are at that age . . . ."

I looked and saw Lau standing in the doorway, smiling pleasantly.

I laughed as Ciel turned beet red. "It's not like that, Lau," I said. "Ciel's like a little brother to me; nothing more."

"Can't . . . breathe!" wheezed Ciel.

"Crap! Sorry . . . ." I said, letting him go.

Sebastian chuckled, then took out his pocketwatch. Closing it, he said, "I do believe that it is time for tea. If you would all follow me to the tearoom . . . ."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

We all exited the room, and I caught up to Sebastian.

"You knew that there were two killers, didn't you?" I asked in a feather-light whisper.

He smirked down at me. "Would you be angry with me if I said yes?" he asked quietly.

I sighed. "Yeah and no," I whispered. "I already know that there will be one more victim, and I'm not saying anything about it. It's a risky thing to mess with history; it could impact the future in odd and unforeseen ways."

He nodded in agreement, the opened the tearoom door and held it. While we ate the lovely finger sandwiches and the chocolate cream pie Sebastian had made, Ciel told Lau what I had uncovered.

"Very impressive, Christina," said Lau. "I must admit to being pleasantly surprised. You are a very clever girl."

"Xièxiè," I said. "I try." I smiled sheepishly.

"And you obviously succeed," said Angelina. "I'm not surprised, though. Anyone who can win at chess in 20 moves is a genius."

I chuckled. "I'm no genius, Angie," I said. "As my friends back home say, I'm just resting on the line between genius and insanity. But, they only say that because they don't get how I think."

"I don't think anyone can," Ciel muttered. I stuck my tongue out at him.

The rest of the afternoon passed in relative quiet. It started to rain around four, and I was in the music room playing the piano. As I started to play the piano cover of "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," the door opened and Lau walked in.

I looked up at him and continued playing. "Ní hǎo, Lau," I said, smiling.

"I figured that it would be you playing," he said, smiling pleasantly. He walked over to stand behind me. "What is this piece called?"

"It's called 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.' It's one of my favorites," I answered.

"Is that so?" he asked, resting his chin on my head and his arms on my shoulders.

"Lau, it's hard for me to play with you using me as a pillow," I said, chuckling.

"Well, you don't have to play," he said, his voice right at my ear.

I chuckled again and stopped playing. "Okay, Lau. What do you want?" I asked, smirking. "And it better not be something with naughty intentions behind it."

"Oh, you're no fun," he sighed, putting his head on my chin again.

"I'm sorry, Lau," I said, starting to play "Just Give Me a Reason". "I'm already taken, hon."

"Hmmmm . . . ," he hummed. "By the Master Butler, I presume? How scandalous . . . and how unfortunate for me; you are a very beautiful girl . . . ."

"Okay, you got me," I admitted, smiling. "But how did you know, Lau?"

"I am not blind, Christina," he said. "I can see the way you both look at each other when you think no one notices." I could hear the smirk in his voice as he moved to stand beside me.

I blushed slightly and he laughed. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll not tell a soul . . . but my silence comes at a price."

"I'm not surprised," I sighed. "What would you like? And behave yourself; I can see all of the various possibilities running around in your head," I added, smirking.

"Oh, you are so cruel," he lamented, frowning. "Very well," he said, smirking. "I'll only as for one kiss, then."

I sighed. "Very well, Lau. Come closer and close your eyes," I said, ceasing my playing.

He grinned and did so, and I kissed him on the cheek.

"There," I said, smirking as I pulled back. "One kiss."

He straightened and chuckled. "You are certainly one clever girl, Christina," he said.

He stayed in the music room with me and listened to me play various songs. When he asked me what other instruments I could play, I smiled.

"I prefer string intruments," I said. "My most favorite ones would have to be the piano and the violin. But I can only play songs i know by heart, because I play them by ear, not by sheet music. That stuff confuses the hell outta me. Plus, the violin and piano are so pretty~!"

"They are indeed; especially if you are the one playing them," he said smoothly. I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I also heard you sing last night; you have a very beautiful voice."

"Thank you," I said. "I get it from my mom; she has one of the prettiest voices in the world."

About a half hour later, Sebastian came to get us for dinner. On his way out, Lau paused in front of Sebastian.

"You are a very lucky man to have such a lovely lady," he said, smiling.

Sebastian smiled politely and said, "I know."

Lau then became serious, something which surprised me. I'd only ever seen him calm or happy.

"I must say, if you were ever to forget that fact, it would be most unfortunate," said Lau, piercing Sebastian with his eyes. "At least, for you anyway; I would consider it lucky for me."

With that, he gave me a bright smile and walked down the hall. I stood there with a poker face.

"Don't tell me he just totally threatened you and managed to flirt with me at the same time," I said in a deadpan voice.

Sebastian raised a brow. "Indeed he did, my dear," he said. "It appears as though you have another admirer . . . and that I have a rival."

I snorted a laugh. "Don't worry, Sebastian," I said, walking down the hallway. "Even though Lau is handsome, he's not my type. Plus, I'm with you. No one can compare."

He chuckled and put an arm around my waist, kissing my head.

Dinner was delicious; Sebastian could sure make one mean seasoned pork loin. It was so tender that I could dut through it with my fork, no knife needed! I tried to eat like a proper Vistorian lady, but it wasn't without Herculean effort.

After dinner, Lau took his leave. He said goodbye to everyone and hugged me before he left (much to Sebastian's chagrin). When the front door closed, we all retired to the game room. Angelina and I played another round of chess, and I won once again in 20 moves.

"I swear, I honestly have no idea how you do that, Christina," said Angelina, sighing.

"Come now, Madame Red," said Ciel, smirking. "It's not that hard to win at chess."

"So says the other chess genious," grumbled Angelina. "I'd like to see you try and beat her."

"Alright," said Ciel. He looked at me. "Set up your pieces."

"Sweet!" I exclaimed. "I've been wanting to play against you. You can be white; that way you have first move."

I saw Angelina hide a smirk at my clever maneuvering as she got up. Ciel took her spot across from me.

"I must warn you, Christina," said Ciel, setting up his own pieces, "people do not call me the 'Lord of Games' for nothing."

I laughed. "Well, back home, my friends call me the 'Black Cat'," I said. "I always give them bad luck whenever they play against me in anything. I have only ever lost a game maybe five times in my life."

"Then this shall be loss number six," he said confidently, moving a pawn.

And so, the game commenced. I have to say, Ciel was damn good at chess. I actually had to think for a few moments before moving each of my pieces. It was like playing myself. At the end of 20 moves, we both stared at the board in surprise.

"Wow," said Angelina. "It seems that this games ends in a stalemate." She looked sideways at Ciel, the hint of a smirk on her lips. "You are lucky to have such a capable pawn, Ciel."

"That is where you are wrong, Madame Red," said Ciel. "She is much more than a mere pawn. A pawn can only move one space at a time, and in such a predictable path. No, Christina is no lowly pawn." He looked at me, smirking with pride. "She is my Black Queen in this game. The Queen can move anywhere she wants and however many spaces she pleases. The Queen is unpredictable in all of her qualities, save one-"

"To protect the King," I finished, smirking back at him. "Indeed, you are correct, Ciel."

Grell came in with a tea cart. He wheeled it over and said meekly, "Tonight I have prepared a tea made from rosehips to soothe the nerves . . ."

He poured a cup for each of us, and I took mine wordlessly. Angelina took a sip and coughed.

"How can tea be salty?!" she exclaimed, giving him a reproachful glare.

Ciel and I put out cups down silently. _Yeah . . . not drinking that . . . , _I thought. _'Sides, mine and Ciel's could be poisoned . . . . _

"Allow me," said Sebastian.

He left, and I got up to sit in a comfy-looking armchair while Ciel set up the chess board once more. "Would you like to play a game, Madame Red?" asked Ciel.

"And lose again? I don't think so," chuckled Angelina.

"Sounds like someone's afraid~," I teased. "Don't make me start calling you a chicken~, Angie . . ."

She sighed and smiled at me. "Okay, I'll do it," she said. "But don't pick on me too much when I lose, Christina."

I laughed, then it turned into a yawn. I covered my mouth, apalled.

Ciel smirked at me. "Tired?" he asked. "I wouldn't be surprised; you did spend five hours hard at work in the library. Go to bed, Christina."

I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I am a little tired," I admitted. I rose and gave him a one-armed hug and a kiss on his head. "G'night, Ciel."

I then turned to Angelina and gave her a hug as well. "See you in the morning, Angie," I said. "I'll tell ya what: I'll teach you my chess technique tomorrow."

She hugged me back and said, "Sounds wonderful. Good night, Christina."

Once I got to my room, I managed to get out of my dress and strip down. I got my nightgown on and breathed quietly as I laid on my bed, thinking about the case and the last victim that I knew would be killed.

"No! Focus, girl!" I said, shaking my head. "Go to sleep!"

I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep. At first, I slept peacefully. Then, a dream hit me like a Mac truck going 80 on the freeway.

It was chaotic! It was a night . . . and Angelina and Ciel were there. She had a knife poised above Ciel as she held him by the throat, ready to stab him. When she went to do so, she stopped halfway. She backed away, dropping the knife and starting to cry. A voice shouted something at her, and she turned to face them. When she started to speak, the impossible happened.

Someone with long, red hair put a chainsaw to her chest.

Angelina's eyes widened as her blood splattered everywhere. She coughed red, and fell to the ground. I saw her soul leave her body; it looked like a ghostly version of her, then she turned to face me. She smiled and waved. Then, she put a finger to her lips, the universal sign for quiet.

I awoke with a start, sitting up abruptly. I was drenched in a cold sweat, and I panted heavily.

_Oh no!_ I thought, jumping out of bed and rushing to Ciel's room. _She's in danger; I just KNOW it! That wasn't an ordinary dream!_

I opened Ciel's door and saw him sitting in bed in his nightclothes, Sebastian standing next to him. Papers were scattered all over the floor.

Ciel looked up at me in surprise. "Christina? What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes traveling over my bedraggled appearance.

"It's Angie," I huffed. "She . . . she's in danger. I saw it."

Sebastian came over to me and brought me over to Ciel's bed. I sat down on it and said, "She's seriously in danger, Ciel. I can't just let her die! She's like a best friend to me . . . ."

Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other, then at me. "Christina," said Sebastian carefully, "the Young Master and I have somehting to tell you. You see, we have reason to believe that Madame Red and Grell Sutcliff are Jack the Ripper."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

I blinked in disbelief. "There's no way," I said. "I . . . I had a feeling about Grell, but Angie . . . ? Why would she-"

I stopped, realizing something. I gasped and brought my hands to my face. "Oh Goddess," I muttered. "The removal of the uterus . . . the precise surgical cuts . . . oh Goddess . . ."

Tears formed in my eyes, and I thought, _My best girl friend . . . . a murderess . . . ._

I clenched my eyes shut and took a deep, shuddering breath. I let it out, then stood and wiped my face. I faced Ciel and Sebastian, who were looking at me carefully.

"Well, what are you two doing?" I asked impatiently, putting my hands on my hips. "Are you two gonna stare at me like simpletons, or are you gonna get off your butts and catch a couple of killers with me?"

~ Time Lapse - waiting for "Jack the Ripper" ~

An hour later, we stood watch over the next victim's apartment, keeping an eye out for Grell . . . or Angelina. Although the facts pointed to her being one half of Jack the Ripper, my mind couldn't accept it. I sighed.

A little "meow" brought me out of my troubled thoughts. Looking down, I saw a little black cat.

"Aw!" I said, kneeling down to pet it. "How cute~!"

Sebastian joined me in doting on the cat, scratching her behind the ears. As she purred, he looked up at me and grinned.

"You like cats?" he asked.

"Uh, hell yeah!" I said. "I'm more of a cat person, but I enjoy all different kinds of animals . . . except for toads and frogs." I shuddered. "Those things are so disgusting."

"Hey, are you two even listening to me?!"

We looked over at Ciel, who was dressed in commoner's clothing. I was dressed in a similar manner, but I wore a pair of Sebastian's pants instead of a skirt. I'd wanted to be fully able to move in case something happened.

"Sorry. Ciel," I said, smiling sheepishly. "She's just so cute~ . . . !"

He sighed and shook his head. "Great. Another cat-obsessed person . . . ," he muttered.

A scream suddenly sounded from the victim's building. I stood up and ran behind Ciel to the woman's door. He opened it, and I covered his eyes.

"Ciel, don't look!" I said.

I glanced inside and held back the instinct to vomit. I leapt backwards into Sebastian's chest. Ciel must've unfortunately caught a glimpse, though, because he was shaking like a leaf in my arms and gasping.

"Augh!" he exclaimed. I hugged him closer.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Ciel," I said. "Don't think about it, hon . . ."

I didn't realize that I was shaking, too, until Sebastian put his arms around me, making me stop.

_I'm not gonna lie, Sebastian,_ I said to him mentally, _that sight will haunt my sleep for many nights to come . . ._

_I do not doubt it, my dark angel,_ he said, kissing the top of my head.

He then called out, "It seems you have made quite a mess of things, Jack the Ripper. Or, should I say . . . Grell Sutcliff."

Grell stepped out, covered in blood splatter. "N-no, it's not like that," he said quietly. "I went in when I heard the scream, but she was already-"

"Oh, cut the crap, Grell!" I yelled. "We've been guarding the only way in! So how the- . . . Oh shit," I said, remembering when I saw his eyes shift. "You're a fucking Grim Reaper, aren't you?"

He looked down at the ground, then looked back up at me. His eyes were that all-too-familiar irridescent green, and his wide grin revealed two rows of piranha-like teeth.

"Indeed~," he said, his voice losing its meekness. "You are one clever girl, aren't you, Christina~?"

"I must say, you played your part as the helpless butler very well," said Sebastian mockingly.

"Really~? Oh, it fair warms the cockles of my heart to hear you say that, Sebby daaarling~!" said Grell, taking out a comb and letting his hair down. It turned red as he combed it out, and I froze.

"Oh no," I whispered. "Sebastian, he's the one who's gonna try and kill Angie . . ." Then, I did a doubletake over something he had said.

"Wait. 'Sebby darling'?" I asked Grell, my eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"Of course, you silly girl~!" said Grell. "After all, Sebby darling~ IS my one true LOVE~!"

Sebastian and I twitched, and I moved out of Sebastian's arms, letting go of Ciel. "Oh. Oh no, you did NOT just go there," I said, going all sassy ghetto woman on him. "Back yo flamin' homo ass off, he is MINE. Don't you even DARE try n' cop a feel, eithah, cuz I will END you, bitch!"

I panted and Grell glared daggers at me. "What would he want with a little girl~ like you, hmmm?" he asked. "He needs a REAL woman."

I scoffed. "Yeah, so says the flamin' homo MAN," I countered. "At least I AM a woman, bitch! And Sebastian can actually attest to that," I added, smirking at him and rubbing it in.

He turned red in anger and shook. "You . . . You . . . ! You hussy!"

"Grell, stop this nonsense."

Ciel and I looked behind Grell as Angelina stepped out. Ciel glared at her.

"Angie . . ." I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. I blinked them away angrily. "Angie, why would you do this?" I asked, clenching my fists. "You're a doctor, for Christ's sake! You took the Hypocratic Oath!"

"SHUT UP!" she yelled. "They deserved it! They aborted their own children as if it were NOTHING! They treated pregnancy as a nuisance!"

"Even so, they did NOT deserve to die!" I shouted.

"Enough!" said Ciel. I grew silent. "Sebastian, this is an order: in the name of my evil title, and that of the Queen, destroy Grell Sutcliff and Madame Red!"

"Yes, my lord," said Sebastian. He looked at me. "Protect the Young Master, my dark angel."

I nodded stiffly as Sebastian attacked Grell. I put an arm around Ciel's shoulders and led him to the side of the path. I looked down at him.

"Ciel . . . please." I said quietly. "Please take back the order to kill Angie. I don't want to see her die . . ."

"I have to do what I must to rid London of Jack the Ripper, Christina," he said, his voice firm. "I don't expect you to understand, but I must do what has been asked of me by Her Majesty."

I bit my lip and loked over at Angelina. She was standing there, just watching the two butlers fight. _Why did you have to do it, Angie? _I thought.

She then looked over at Ciel and I. "Stop giving me that look, Christina!" she snapped. "I can't stand it!"

"Why?" asked Ciel mockingly. "Because it makes you feel guilty?"

I then heard a loud SMASH! I looked over and saw Sebastian holding back Grell . . . who was close to hacking off his arm with a chainsaw.

"Sebastian!" I cried, taking a few steps in his direction.

"Gah-!"

I looked behind me and saw that Angelina had Ciel by the throat, a knife poised above him.

"A child like you should never have been born!" she cried, bringing the knife down.

"Ciel!"

"Young Master!"

Sebastian was suddenly behind Angelina, about to attack her. However, she froze, hesitating. Upon seeing this, Ciel cried, "No Sebastian! Don't kill her!"

Sebastian stopped, breathing heavily. He slowly reached up to grip his right shoulder, and I noticed it was bleeding.

"Sebastian!" I exclaimed, going over to him. "Oh shit . . ."

"I'm fine," he said.

Angelina backed away, tears in her eyes. She dropped the knife and brought her hands to her face.

"What are you waiting for, Madame?" asked Grell, who was standing about four yards away. "Finish that brat off!"

"But . . . but he is my-" she started, turning to face him as she had in my dream.

"NO!" I exclaimed, putting myself in front of her as Grell lunged. I pulled out the metal cylinder that Alistair had given me, and I felt myself transform. However, something was different that time. I felt an odd sensation on either side of my head, and I also felt my other powers magnify. Instead of just being able to guess what everyone was thinking, I could literally hear their mental voices in my head. And that wasn't all.

The cylinder Alistair gave me turned into a roughly 8-foot tall staff with a scythe at the end. It looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen it before. At the top, a silver skull decorated it, and the hand/finger bone accents went all the way up and down the staff at regular intervals.

Grell's chainsaw came into contact with it as I held it up in defense of myself and Angelina. When Grell saw what I was holding, he gasped.

_How does this hussy have the Legendary Reaper's scythe?!_ he thought.

_Oh . . . so THAT'S where I've seen it before,_ I thought. _This is Alistair's Death Scythe . . ._

_Oh my,_ I heard Sebastian say to himself, his emotions a mix of awe and lust. _She looks so . . . demonic~ . . ._

I caught a glimpse of myself through his eyes, and I had to agree. That odd sensation that I'd had on my head was from a pair of black, slightly curved horns growing out of my head. They almost looked like a thicker version of Feferi Peixes' (a character from Homestuck). My teeth were bared, and I saw that my canines had elongated; my nails were also longer, and had turned black.

_Bloody hell,_ thought Ciel. _Just WHAT is she?_

Angelina was thinking the same thing from behind me. I shook my head to block out their thoughts.

"Don't you DARE touch her!" I seethed. "I will NOT let you kill the woman who has become like a sister to me!"

Grell leaped back and looked at me, raising a brow. "Oh~? What's this? Could it be that you're an angel?" he asked.

"BZZT! Wrong, bitch!" I said, lunging at him and swinging my borrowed Death Scythe. "I'm a motherfucking ANGEL OF HELL!"

He blocked me with his chainsaw, which I now knew was his own Death Scythe. He threw me back, and I spread my wings, flapping them so I hovered ten feet above the ground. I glared down at him.

"Go ahead, bitch," I sneered, shouldering my scythe. "Make my day. I fucking _DARE_ you."

He stood there, trembling in fear. I smirked. "Hmph. That's what I thought," I said, flying over to Angelina. I landed next to her and looked at her kindly. "Give me your coat, Angie," I said. "Please."

She did so, her eyes wide. She handed it to me, then sank to her knees. I turned to Grell and tossed it to him, glaring.

"Take this as payment and get the motherfucking HELL outta my sight," I spat.

"Excuse me," said a voice form above us. "I have come to collect Grell Sutcliff."

I looked up and saw a man in a black suit with rectangular glasses . . . and those damned irridescent green eyes.

_Another one . . ._ I thought, mentally sighing.

"Will~!" cried Grell, smiling at the man. "You came to save m-"

Will then leapt down and landed on Grell's head, causing him to fall face-first into the ground. I grinned and snorted a laugh as Will walked over to me.

"Please allow me to introduce myself," he said. "I am William T. Spears, Head of the Dispatch Department. Here's my card."

He pulled it out and handed it to me, bowing. "I apologize for that wretch over there and the trouble he has caused," he said.

"Perhaps you should keep a better eye on your employees, then," said Sebastin coldly, walking to my side as Ciel knelt next to Angelina.

Will's gaze went to him and his eyes narrowed. "The very fact that I must extend this apology to such a noxious beast, even a collared one, sickens me greatly," he said. His gaze then went back to me, becoming almost . . . warm . . . and kind.

"I would recognize your soul anywhere," he said, straightening and smiling slightly. "It is a pleasure to see you again . . . Although you were called Evanna when I saw you last."

I smiled back. "It's nice to see you too, Will," I said. "Even though I don't remember you, I can sense that I know you."

I glanced at Grell, becoming serious. "Be sure that the Great Mother is made aware of what that stupid bitch has been doing," I said, looking back at Will. "I'm sure that she would be VERY interested . . . if she doesn't know already."

Will then grinned, something I sensed he didn't do very often. "Of course," he said. He then looked at Angelina, becoming stoic once more. "However, there is still the matter of Angelina Durless . . ."

"Please," I said, looking at him with pleading eyes. I willed myself back to normal, tucking the Death Scythe cylinder into my pocket. "Please, let . . . let Ciel and I handle this, Will. After all, she is his aunt, and she . . . she is a dear friend to me . . ."

Will looked at me, then at Angelina. He sighed, then said to me, "Very well. I will allow you two to handle this."

He looked at Angelina. "You should consider yourself lucky that this girl cares for you, Angelina Durless."

He then picked up Grell, leapt to the top of the building, then disappeared.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

After a moment of absolute silence, Sebastian asked, "My lord, do you wish for me to finish carrying out your order?"

I looked behind me, my eyes begging Ciel to say no. He looked at Angelina beside him, then up at me. He met my pleading gaze, then closed his eyes and sighed.

"No," he said, rising. "I have done what Her Majesty has ordered: Jack the Ripper is no more." He looked down at Angelina, holding out his hand. "Let's go home."

When we arrived back at the townhouse, the tension was so thick a person would need a hacksaw to cut through it. We all went into the drawing room, not saying a word. Ciel and Angelina sat across from each other, and Sebastian and I stood on either side of Ciel.

"Now," said Ciel, breaking the awkward silence, "would you mind telling me what the bloody hell you were thinking? How did this happen?"

Angelina fidgeted in her seat. "Angie," I said, "it's best if you just tell us. I don't want to have to pull the info out of your mind, but if I have to, I will."

She met my firm gaze, then looked down. After a moment, she started teling how she had performed abortions on those prostitutes at the hospital. It had made her sick how they'd wanted to throw motherhood away like it was nothing, especially when she herself wanted it so badly and could never have it. She then decided to make them pay with their lives. She explained how Grell had found her and made her an offer that she felt she could not refuse. After all, it would help her to get her revenge. The end result was the persona "Jack the Ripper."

When she finished, she looked between the three of us. Then, she said, "Ciel, I don't expect you to fully understand why I did it . . . but you can, can't you, Christina?" She rested her gaze on me.

I sighed, closing my eyes. "I can see where you were coming from, Angie. But," I added, opening my eyes to give her a reproachful look, "I believe that every woman has the right to do what she wants with her body. While I myself would never get and abortion, I can understand why some other women might. And did you ever stop to think that maybe each of those women, in their heart of hearts, was thinking about the child? Imagine what those children would've had to go through having a prostitute for a mother." I paused, then went on.

"I know that you think that each of those women could've just found some other way to make money, but most prostitutes feel as though they have no choice but to sell their bodies. Either that, or they feel as though that is all they'll ever be good for."

"But-"

"I'm not saying what they did was right or wrong," I said, cutting her off. "I'm only saying that it was wrong of you to decide that for them. Only divine beings can truly reserve the right to judge humans, Angie. Not humans themselves."

She looked down in shame and started crying. I sighed, then knelt in front of her and handed her a hanky.

"Stop crying, Angie," I said calmly. "It's not gonna change anything. All you can do now is just try and move forward with your life. There's no sense wishing you could change the past, cuz shit happens that no one can control. That's how life works, and you're gonna have to learn to deal with it."

With that, I rose. "Well, I'm freakin' exhausted," I said. "Imma go and try to get some sleep."

"Allow me to escort you to your room," said Sebastian.

As he shut the door behind us, I gave him a look. "You did that so that they could have some time alone, didn't you?" I smirked.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about," said Sebastian. However, I could see the corners of his mouth twitching in the effort to fight back a smile.

"Riiiiight," I said, grinning.

When we got to my room, he shut the door behind us quietly. Then, he pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply. I was a little confused, but I kissed him back, putting my arms around his neck.

When we disconnected, he looked at me with glowing eyes. "Never do that to me again, Christina," he said. "For a moment, I thought you would not be able to fight him off-"

"Shh," I said, putting a finger to his lips. I smiled softly. "It's okay, hon. And really, I fight to the death for people I care about."

He sighed, then hugged me close to him; I rested my head on his shoulder. We stood like this for a few moments, then he said, "You need to rest. You have had a long night."

I stepped out of his embrace, snorting a laugh and rolling my eyes. "Yeah, you can say THAT again," I said. "I think I might've sprouted a gray hair from all the stress."

He chuckled, laying my nightgown out on my bed. "I highly doubt that, my dear."

I sat down and untied my boots. "Oh, and thanks for letting me borrow a pair of your trousers," I said, standing to take them off. I undid the belt, and they slipped off my hips and to the floor. chuckled.

"Although, they are a little big on me," I added.

I stepped out of them, and he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He nuzzled my neck and breathed, "I don't mind in the slightest, my dear . . . ."

I sighed and leaned into him. "It really sucks that I'm most likely gonna have batshit crazy nightmares tonight," I said. I tapped Sebastian's arm and he let me go. I took off the rest of my clothes and went over to get my nightgown on.

"Do you want me to stay here while you sleep?" asked Sebastian.

I slipped my nightgown over my head. "Could you?" I asked. "I usually sleep with my sister at home, so it's unsettling to sleep by myself anyways. Top it off with the sight of that poor woman's corpse . . ." I shuddered. "I'm as shaken up as a box full a cats on a rowboat."

He chuckled at my choice of words, lifting my chin so I was looking at him. "Then know that I will stay beside you tonight," he said. "And every night hereafter."

He kissed me softly, and I melted into his embrace, returning the kiss tenfold. He lowered his hands form my shoulders to my waist; after a moment, he slowly moved them so he was grasping my ass. I jumped a bit and gasped.

"Lech," I scolded affectionately. He chuckled, and gave my ass a quick squeeze, causing me to gasp again and moan softly.

"I will return when I am done attending to the Young Master," he whispered against my lips. He gave me a quick kiss and then went to the door.

Before he left, I asked, "Is that a promise? Or a warning?" I smirked.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled mischeviously. "I wonder . . . ." he said. He then walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

I grinned. "Asshat . . . ."

~ Time Lapse ~

About twenty minutes later, Sebastian returned. I sat up on my bed as he came inside.

"So, did everything get worked out between them?" I asked.

"From what I gather, yes," he answered, taking off his gloves, coat, vest, tie, and shirt. "Although, I think Madame Red is afraid that you are angry with her."

"Me?" I said surprise. He sat next to me and I rested my head on his shoulder; in response, he put his arm around my waist. "Why would she be worried about what I think?" I asked.

"Well, my dear, you did tell her that she is a dear friend to you," he said reasonably. "Perhaps she is afraid of your disappointment."

I pursed my lips. "I'm not gonna lie," I started, "I'm quite disappointed in her at the moment . . . in case you couldn't tell when I totally gave her the 'tough love' treatment." I smirked, then continued. "However, I won't stay this way for long. In a day or two I will have forgiven her."

I stretched and flopped down onto my pillow. "Until then, I just hope she don't do something stupid," I said. "She BETTER NOT kill herself, or so help me, I will shove her soul in a cursed Ming Dynasty vase that's filled with snakes and scorpions."

Sebastian laughed. "And where do you expect to find such an item?" he asked, looking down at me with a smile.

"I'm sure Lau has one laying around somewhere," I said, snickering. "I'm willing to bet that he would let me borrow it if I asked nicely."

"I would not be surprised if he did possess such a thing," said Sebastian. He then laid down on top of me, lowering his head so we were nose-to-nose. "But you had better take me with you if you go to ask him for it," he added in a severe whisper.

"Of course," I said, giving him a quick kiss. "After all, I'd need you there to help me confirm that it is actually cursed."

He flipped us over so that I was on top. "That is not what I meant," he said. "I do not trust him when it comes to you."

I sat up and straddled his waist, grinning. "Sounds like somebody is possessive~," I said in a singsong voice, chuckling. I ran my hands over the plains of his chest, loving how his muscles tightened slightly at my touch.

He raised a brow, smirking. "And if I am?" he asked.

"Then I'd say that's a good thing," I said. "After all, I am VERY possessive myself. And quite territorial, in case you didn't notice when I was telling off that redheaded bitch."

He chuckled and brought a hand up to cup my cheek. "Yes, I did notice. And I must say, you were absolutely magnificent, my dear," he said, using his other hand to give my ass a quick squeeze. I jumped slightly and grinned, blushing red. "The demon blood in you is quite strong; it doesn't surprise me that you are similar to us where possessiveness is concerned."

"Hmmm," I hummed. "If that's what I get from the demon blood in me, I have no objections."

I then laid down on top of him, using his chest as a pillow. My thoughts turned more somber. "I still can't get over what I am. It's so damn confusing! I am both human and demon, but I don't fit in anywhere." I sighed.

He rubbed my back. "That is where you are wrong, my dark angel," he said. "You 'fit in' here, with the Young Master and I."

I smiled, and happy tears came into my eyes. "Thank you," I said quietly, kissing his chest and falling to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

A few days passed, and it was relatively calm. We had returned to the manor two days after "Jack the Ripper" had been taken care of. Angelina came with us, and she had worked through her remaining guilt quite well, all things considered. She finally came to me the day after we had returned.

"Christina . . . may I speak with you?" she asked quietly.

I looked up from the book I was reading and smiled. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask," I said, marking my spot and putting the book down. "Let's go to my room."

We walked from the drawing room to my room silently. But it wasn't an awkward or tense kind of silence; it was just silence.

"What would you like to ask me first?" I asked her as I shut the door behind us.

She sat on the edge of my bed, thinking. "Why did you try to save me when you knew what I had done?"

I sighed, then looked at her. "Angie, you are a good friend to me," I said. "You've helped me adjust to being here. To be honest, I am not of this time period; I come from the future. It involved some time shenanigans, a demon time portal, me being a dork and translating some Latin, and then here I am. But with you and Ciel and Sebastian, you all have made me feel . . . . at home here." I paused, then added, "I'm going to return home at some point, but I like being here."

"Plus," I said, smiling, "You kind of remind me of my friend Brittany. She's like mah big sistah. Therefore, you are like a sister to me."

Angelina was quiet, then smiled and said, "You know, I had a feeling you were different. You talk in a very strange way. But," she added, "you're just like Vincent and Rachel. They were both very kind, too."

"Ciel's parents?" I asked. "I had a feeling that they must've been super nice. After all, Ciel had to get it from somewhere." I giggled. "He is such a sweetheart! But don't tell him I said that, he'll be pissed and deny it," I added, snickering.

Se laughed a little, then grew serious. "I wonder where that leaves me now . . . I have no idea what to do . . . ."

"Well, you could go search for a new husband," I suggested. "After all, I hear the market's pretty okay these days. Besides," I added, smiling mischeviously and grabbing her ample bust, "you ARE very well-endowed, Angie!" I laughed.

She blushed and laughed. "Christina!" she chuckled, pushing my hands away.

"What? It's true," I said, giggling. "You probably have to beat all the men off with a stick or something."

She put an arm around my shoulders and chuckled. "Only during the spring," she said.

I rolled my eyes and smirked.

Two days later, she left to go back to her own manor and find a new butler. She promised to visit me often and to keep both mine and Sebastian's secrest, giving us each a wink.

"And you better take care of my 'little sister', Sebastian Michaelis," she said sternly. "I better not hear that you fooled around with some whorish demoness anytime soon."

He chuckled. "I would never do such a thing, Madame," he said, bowing. "And if I did, I do believe that Christina would pour Holy Water down my throat," he added, smirking at me as he straightened.

"I would not!" I protested, feigning hurt. "I'd pour it someplace else; but I won't say where in front of company," I added, grinning evilly.

Angelina laughed as Sebastian winced. "That's my girl!" she said, giving me a hug. Ever since we had talked, she had been treating me like a little sister. I had no problems with it; after all, I got the same thing form Britt back home.

I hugged her back, smiling. "See you around, Angie!" I said as I released her.

Ciel, Sebastian, and I watched her carriage drive away, and I sighed.

"Well, that's taken care of," I said, stretching. "Now, didn't you two promise to teach me how to fence?" I asked, looking at them and smiling.

A week passed, and everything was peaceful. Well, as peaceful as it could be . . . .

I'd helped Sebastian prepare the mansion for an orphanage that was coming to visit the next day. While I was sitting in the kitchen trying to decide what to munch on until dinner, I heard a commotion coming form the dining room. I ran out and stared in shock.

The solid chocolate sculpture that Sebastian had cast was missing its head.

I held in my laughter. "W-which one of you a-ate it?" I asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Bard, Finny, and Mey-Rin all denied it, and Sebastian turned his piercing gaze to me.

"Hey, I didn't do it either," I said. "The only other person who could've done it is-"

"Tanaka!" exclaimed the Trio of Trouble.

"Find Mr. Tanaka!" said Sebastian. As they ran off, he turned to me and said, "Christina, you stay here and make sure that none of the other food gets taken. And do not even think about it," he added, seeing the sly smile that had started to form on my face.

"But I'm hungry . . . ," I groaned. "I wanna eat something . . . ."

He sighed. "You're always hungry, my dear," he said. "If not for food, then for something else," he added in a whisper as he passed me, giving my side a squeeze and making me jump. I blushed and watched him as he went into the kitchen, that damned smirk I loved so much gracing his features.

Just as he had promised, he spent every night in my room in bed with me. While we hadn't had sex yet, we did make out a lot . . . . Who could blame me? He was as fine as fine could be . . . .

About a half hour later, it was discovered that Tanaka hadn't taken the head; it was Ciel. Sebastian gave him a lecture about ruining his appetite and not to be like me when it came to eating habits because only_ I_ could eat an entire steak for lunch and still want an apple pie right after. Hey, what can I say? I was a growing girl; I needed food, yo!

Sebastian replaced the head after we had finished dinner, and when the children came over the next day, they were awestruck. I laughed when they laid eyes on the statue; their expressions were so priceless!

"Pretty amazing, huh?" I asked one little blonde girl.

"Uh huh!" she said, smiling brightly. Her baby blue eyes lit up and I noticed she had dimples. Her entire face was just glowing.

_Holy fuck . . . so CUTE!_ I thought.

"What's your name, little one?" I asked, crouching down so I was at her level.

"Erica," she said. "I'm ten!"

"Well, it's nice to meet, Erica," I said, smiling at her. "I'm Christina, and I'm almost eighteen."

"Wow," she said, wide-eyed.

"I know, right? I'm gettin' old," I said, sighing.

She giggled. "You're not old!"

I spent the entire day with little Erica and her friends. That little girl was just so adorbs, I swear that she must've been a little faery child. I taught them how to play hopscotch, checkers, and even chess. Erica especially loved the last one. She had the makings of a great chess player, too.

As all of the children were gathering to leave, I gave her a hug then went to Ciel.

"Ciel," I said, "you see that little blonde girl? Erica? She's seriously a natural at chess. And I could tell she loved the game when I was teaching her."

He visibly jerked to attention. "Is that so?" he asked, looking at her.

I nodded, and he pursed his lips in thought. "Bring her to me," he said.

I nodded again and went to get her. "Erica, Lord Phantomhive wants to see you," I said, smiling.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked timidly as we walked over to him.

"Of course not," I said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

We stopped in front of Ciel, and Erica curtsied slightly. "You w-wanted to s-see me, L-Lord Phantomhive?" she asked, her voice shaky.

He smiled slightly. "Yes," he said. "Christina has brought to my attention that you enjoyed playing chess with her."

Erica brightened. "Mhmm! It was really fun!" she said.

"She's also told me she thinks that, with practice, you could become an excellent chess player," he added.

Erica looked up at me in awe. "Really, Chrissy?" she asked.

"Yep," I said, smiling and ruffling her hair.

"That being said, I want you to have this," concluded Ciel.

Sebastian brought out a foldable chess set made of wood and held it out to Erica. "Be careful, Miss Erica," he said, smiling politely as she took it. "It is a bit heavy."

She hugged it to her chest and looked up at Ciel, tears of joy in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Lord Phantomhive!"

The headmistress called her over and she waved goodbye to us. When she got to her friends, I heard her gushing about her present. I smiled at her evident joy.

After they left, I help Sebastian clean up.

"You are very good with children," he noted, throwing away some leftovers.

I shrugged and grinned. "Only with children who aren't related to me," I said, chuckling. "And Erica was such a little cutie~! Who can't help but love her?"

He smiled as he threw away the last of the garbage. "She made quite the impression on you," he said, "and you on her as well. I think you just created another chess lover."

I smiled sheepishly. "Eh, don't mention it," I said. "She needed something to keep her happy while she waits for someone to adopt her. I only showed her the game; she chose to like it for herself."

He came up behind me suddenly and whispered, "You are indeed a very kind person, Christina. I wonder at times how you're so enamored with me."

"Pff, baka," I said, slapping his shoulder playfully. "I know you are kind; you just don't show it to anyone but me."

He smirked, but said nothing.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Holiday! Holiday! We're going on a holiday~!" sang the troublesome trio in the back cart. I chuckled and looked at Ciel who was seated across from me.

"You aren't gonna tell them what we're _really_ doing, are you?" I asked, smiling wryly.

He gave me a small smirk of a smile and said nothing. I laughed and heard Sebastian chuckle from the driver's seat. "You are so evil, Ciel!" I laughed, playfully punching his knee.

"I know," he said, raising a brow at me. "It took you this long to notice?" he asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes. and grinned. "No, you goob, I didn't meant _that_ kind of evil," I said. "Only Sebastian can be like that; you need to stay pure, you hear me?" I said in a mock-threatening voice and attempting a Dave Strider-like serious face. It lasted for about 10 seconds before I erupted into giggles. "S-sorry, I just couldn't keep that expression!" I said between giggles.

Ciel rolled his eyes, then gave me a serious look. "What do you think of the case?" he asked me.

I sighed and sat back. "Truth be told, dearie, I can't really say much," I said. "The thought of an entire town doing something that cruel to any kind of animal pisses me the hell off." I paused, grinning evilly and feeling my eyes change.

"I'd gladly slice their legs off and watch them slowly try to crawl away from me as I let their own dogs attack them~," I said cheerfully, giggling.

I heard Sebastian draw in a sharp breath behind me, then he muttered so only I could hear, "Don't tease me like that, my dark angel~ . . . You know I love it when you talk so murderously . . ."

I laughed mentally and muttered back, "Love you too, my darling Mephistopheles~ . . ."

I then gave Ciel a look and added, "But I would only do that if you ordered me to. This Lord Barrymore, though . . . ," I said, trailing off. "I think he might be the one pulling the strings in the town. He must have brainwashed them into thinking that this was okay. Take out the top dog, and the pups will bend to your will," I said, smirking. "Just like in a wolf pack; if you _kill_ the alpha, you _become_ the alpha."

Ciel smirked at me. "I didn't know you were a dog person, Christina."

I shrugged. "Well, I like most animals. But cats, snakes, wolves, sea creatures, and any black bird are my favorites. I don't really care for regular dogs that much; they're too noisy," I said, wrinkling my nose. "But I can live with huskies; they are so pretty~! They are just like wolves . . ."

All of a sudden, Sebastian stopped the carriage. "This appears to be the entrance to the village," he said, looking back at Ciel.

I turned and looked at the same time the troublesome trio did, and I felt myself pokerface.

" . . . . Welp, this looks ever so charming . . . ." I muttered, eyeing the scythes and dog collars hanging from the trees. The Trio was speechless, and most likely gaping in alarm at our surroundings. Sure enough, they screamed.

"I forgot to tell you all one thing: this is the planned _construction site_ for the queen's resort," said Ciel calmly. I bit my lip to repress my laughter.

"Young Master . . ." they all groaned. Tanaka, who was driving the cart behind us, only laughed his signature, "ho ho ho."

We kept riding along, and the fog started closing in more. I furrowed my brow and muttered sarcastically, "Oh, _sure_, this doesn't make the place even more creepy _at all._ Why not have a fucking fog roll in? That's _so_ not predictable . . ."

Sebastian chuckled behind me and glanced at me over his shoulder. "Don't worry, my dark angel; I'll protect you . . ."

I rolled my eyes and snorted a laugh. "Pfft, more like _I'll_ protect _you._ You're the one who hates dogs, my dear Sebastian."

All of a sudden, Finny called out, "Hey, I found the first villager!"

Sure enough, I looked around and saw that we were coming up on an elderly woman with a baby carriage. "Stop the carriage, Tanaka!" continued Finny.

Tanaka did so, and Sebastian also stopped our carriage. Finny jumped out and landed next to the old woman. "I'll help you out there, granny!"

"F-Finny, be careful! If you aren't, the baby will-," started May-Rin.

The next thing I knew, Finny hefted the baby carriage up over his head. I blanched. "F-Finny! Dammit, be careful!" I cried, jumping out and rushing next to him.

"What?" he asked. Then, his face went pale with realization. He forcefully brought the carriage back down to the ground, then threw his hands in the air. "S-sorry! I'm sorry!"

Bard and Mey-Rin sighed, and I came to a stop next to Finny. I heaved out a sigh of relief. "Finny, you really need to be more careful, dear," I muttered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I-is the baby alright?!" asked Mey-Rin, worried. Her and Bard looked into the carriage, then their faces paled and became horror-stricken. Finny and I glanced down, and we had the same reactions.

"W-w-whaaaaat?!" I spluttered out, stepping back.

Inside the carriage was a dog's skeleton, wrapped tenderly in a baby blanket.

"This child was eaten by _it_," rasped the old woman, a ghostly smile on her face. She then took the carriage and continued walking, singing, "The white dog is a good dog, a good dog good. The black dog is a bad dog, a bad dog bad . . ."

The four of us had freaked out expressions as we watched her go. "Eat-" started Bard.

"-en?" finished Finny. I shuddered, walking back to the front carriage and hopping in.

"That . . . was hella creepy," I said, sitting next to Ciel.

"Apparently there are many villagers that are missing or who have been violently killed as well," said Ciel, closing his visible eye.

"Of course there are," I muttered. "Why not?"

"Part of my job here is to find the cause and have you two dispose of it," he continued, ignoring my comment. He looked at me, the ghost of a smirk on his face. "Are you up to putting that scythe of yours to good use?" he asked.

I grinned evilly, gripping the cylinder in my dress pocket. "Oh, most definitely~ . . ."

He smirked fully as we rode on. As we went over a hill, we could all see a beautiful lake next to the dreary-looking town of Houndsworth. My eyes widened. "Whoa," I muttered.

I heard the others exclaim in happiness. "It's startin' to actually look like a resort!" said Bard. I chuckled.

About ten minutes later, we were driving through the town. I took in all of the surroundings, barely paying attention to anything the others said. There was something wrong with the atmosphere . . . It made me tense and I could feel my back tingling where my wings lay under my skin. I pursed my lips and furrowed my brow.

We made our way up to Lord Barrymore's manor. It was a dreary, desolate-looking place. It made a graveyard look lively. We pulled up to the front door, and a pretty maid with a purple and white maid outfit with short, ghostly blue hair greeted us.

"The Earl Phantomhive, I presume?" she asked in a sweet voice. For some reason, it made me grit my teeth, but she seemed fine otherwise.

"Yes," answered Sebastian.

"Welcome to Barrymore Castle. My master awaits your arrival," she said, bowing. When she rose, I got a closer look at her face. It was sweet and kind, but it seemed . . . off. Her lilac eyes also seemed to hide things, but everyone has their secrets. I looked up and saw Sebastian looking at her intently, and I felt my stomach drop.

_N-no, there's no way he'd find HER attractive,_ I thought to myself. _She's too sweet looking . . . He prefers women with a darker feel to them . . . . Right? _

"Sh-she's beautiful, yes she is," muttered Mey-Rin. For the first time, I actually really wanted to punch the redhead.

The maid led Ciel, Sebastian, and I inside. Looking around, the interior was just as dull as the exterior of the manor. I rolled my eyes. We came to a door and she opened it for us, saying, "This way."

I looked around at the same time Ciel did, and was shocked to see so many animal heads mounted on the walls. It made me curl my lip in disgust, but then I heard the snap of a whip and female cries. I looked at the source of the sounds, and I felt myself swell with indignation.

A slightly big-boned man was using a large horse whip to beat the maid. "Who the devil is this Chihuahua and this Husky? And that Doberman butler?" he asked angrily. "I told you to go receive the Queen's messenger!"

The three of us deadpanned for a moment. "Ch-chihuahua?" asked Sebastian. "Doberman?" he added in a mutter, his distaste radiating off of him at being compared to ANY kind of dog.

"Forget Chihuahua, he called me a husky . . ." I muttered. Then, I shook myself and went towards the man, placing myself between him and the maid. Faster than lightning, I grabbed the whip in midair and glared at him.

"How _DARE_ you hit a woman!" I seethed. "Especially one in your service! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Let go, you husky bitch! Mind your own business!" he growled, pulling on the whip.

I hissed at him, giving him a deadly look. I pulled the whip, using my superior strength to pull him to the ground. I puled the whip completely out of his hands and placed my foot on his chest. "Firstly, DON'T call me a bitch, husky or otherwise. GOT IT?" I said, baring my teeth. "Secondly, mind your manners in front of the Earl of Phantomhive, you miserable old hound dog. And thirdly," I added, leaning down to make my point even more, "if I EVER catch you beating this poor woman again, I will castrate you with my bare hands and toss your dick to your own dog as a snack."

With that, I took my foot off of him and turned to help the poor maid stand. "Are you alright?" I asked tenderly.

"Y-yes, I'm fine," she stuttered, looking at me in wonder. Her eyes were practically sparkling. I bit back a chuckle at her expression and tucked the whip into my other dress pocket.

"If your su- Hey, wait," I said, taking her hands in my own as the men talked (*cough*argued*cough*). They were scarred, and looked as though they had been beaten with the whip many times before this. "Your hands . . ."

She tried to pull them back. "I-it's nothing," she said. "I-I'm used to it . . ."

"Dear, I'm going to call a big bullshit on that statement, if you'll excuse my curt language," I said, half-smiling at her. "Come, I'll help you get the tea," I said, leading her out of the room.

Once she shut the door behind us, and I made sure we were alone, I took her hands in mine once more. I glanced at her and asked, "Would you like me to fix these injuries for you?"

She looked puzzled, and I chuckled. "Trust me, dearie, I have the ability," I said. "Just hold still, alright?"

I lifted her hands to my face, noticing how they trembled from pain. Then, I took one and licked over all of the injuries, then repeated the process with her other hand. After a second, they began to heal over.

She looked a bit weirded out when I licked her hands but then her expression became one of absolute surprise as she saw the cuts and scars disappear. "H-how did you-?"

I chuckled and placed a finger to my lips in the "hush hush" gesture. "I'll never tell," I said playfully. "Consider this a gift to you, dear. What is your name, anyways?"

She grinned and curtsied. "My name is Angela, my lady."

I grinned back and said, "Nice to meet you, Angela. I'm Lady Christina Rosenvlad; but please, just call me Christina. Saying 'my lady' or 'Lady Rosenvlad' makes me sound like I'm my mother." I snickered. "Now, care to lead me to your kitchen? I'm dying for some food right now . . ."

~ Time Lapse - that night ~

I sat in Ciel's room as he told me about the "great demon hound' and how the village was "cursed." I snorted around the banana I was eating. After I took my last bite and swallowed it, I rolled my eyes, tossing the peel into the rubbish bin.

"That is such a crock of bull," I said. "I feel sorry for Angela having an insane master like THAT guy."

Sebastian gave me an odd look, but I ignored it, continuing. "Anyways, I agree with your statement: let's just see what this so-called 'calamity' is, shall we?" I smirked, drawing my borrowed scythe and twirling it in the air. "I'm betting that Sebastian and I will be able to handle it easily." I giggled.

There came a knock at the door, and I quickly sheathed the scythe and stuck it back in my pocket as Ciel called, "Come in."

Angela opened the door, and I smiled. "Hey Ang! What's wrong?" I asked, noting her somber expression.

"I apologize for the lateness of the hour," she said politely.

"My lady and my Younger Master were about to retire," said Sebastian, setting out Ciel's nightshirt.

"I-I have a request," she said. "Please . . . leave this village."

"What? Why on earth would we do a thing like that?" I asked, flopping down in the chair next to Ciel's.

"You mustn't be here," she said.

"Why not?" asked Ciel, not looking up from his book.

"I can't . . ."

All of a sudden, a loud howling could be heard. I looked up in alarm at the same time Angela, Ciel, and Sebastian did.

"Oh no! The demon hound is here!" said Angela, shaking in fear.

"Demon hound?" asked Ciel, rising.

Angela looked at the window and screamed. I got up in alarm and looked at the window as well. The shadow of a large dog could be seen on the curtain, and even I was surprised.

"Sebastian!" barked Ciel.

Sebastian moved and threw open the curtain, and there was nothing there. I rushed to the window and saw a phosphorescent dog running, leaving glowing footprints on the ground. I raised my eyebrows.

"Vell zen," I muttered. "Demon hound indeed."

With my acute hearing, I could faintly hear the townspeople rising from their beds, saying, "It's the great demon hound!" "The demon hound is here!" "Who is it? Who's the bad dog?"

I glanced up at Sebastian and we shared a suspicious gaze. "Something isn't right," I muttered.

We rushed outside and saw the footprints on the ground. Ciel kneeled down and brushed his finger over one, examining his finger closely before cleaning it off. "Hmm . . . Heh," he quietly laughed.

"Young Master! Christina!" called Mey-Rin as she and the others ran out.

"Angela!" called Finny.

"What the devil is all this fuss about?" asked Bard, holding his pillow.

"The demon hound has appeared," said Angela, looking down.

"Demon hound?" said the trio simultaneously.

"It brings calamity upon the village," she said. "Those who defy my master are punished by the demon hound. That," she continued, looking up at us with a face full of regret, "is the law of this village."

The trio cringed in fright, and a villager came up and said, "Angela, please tell Lord Barrymore that the demon hound has come."

Behind him, carrying torches, were the other villagers. Angela gasped. "Who's been punished?" she asked fearfully.

The villagers led us to the body, which was a male's. It was covered in dog bites and blood, his clothes torn all over the place. A collar was on his neck, and so was a leash. Ciel and I leaned down to examine the bite marks.

"Hmm," I said, looking at the man's legs. I glanced up at Ciel, who was looking at the victim's right arm. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Ciel?" I asked quietly.

He nodded slightly, putting the man's arm down. Then, Lord Barrymore's voice could be heard. "Don't touch!"

Ciel and I looked at where he was coming from, rising from the ground. I settled my eyes on him in a glare.

"So, James was the bad dog?" he asked.

An old man spoke up. "Yes. Apparently he broke the five-dog rule and kept a sixth dog."

Lord Barrymore closed his eyes. "I see. Then this was inevitable."

"Inevitable?!" I piped up angrily. "That's a load of-!"

"Shut up!" he barked, glaring at me. "That is the law of the village! Anyone who breaks it is punished by the demon hound who protects the Barrymores! I thought for sure it would be you outsiders, especially you, you obnoxious husky," he added, glancing at me pointedly. "You should all take this as a warning and get the hell out of here."

All of a sudden, the villagers all began to sing in unison. "Lullaby, lullaby . . . The white dog is a good dog, a good dog good. The black dog is a bad god, a bad dog bad. Lullaby, the sun sets. Lullaby and good night . . ."

As they sang, they lifted James' body and carried it away on a litter. Angela and Barrymore followed after them, and I fisted my hands, my arms tense at my sides. "Oh, he is SOOOO gonna get it! I'll shove every taxidermy head he has right up his pompous ass!"

~ Time Lapse - the next day ~

I awoke the next morning to find my bed empty. I felt around and found a small square piece of stationary on the other pillow. It read:

My Dark Angel,  
I awoke early this morning to prepare a basket lunch for all of us. We are going swimming, something I know you will be excited for. I look forward to seeing your lovely face when you awaken.  
~M

I giggled and blushed, then jumped out of bed and began to dance around my room. "Swimming~! Swimming~! We're going swimming~!" I giggled and dug around in my wardrobe to find the bathing suit that Sebastian had bought for me. I hadn't seen it yet, and when I pulled it out, my jaw dropped.

"Well, then, Sebastian~!" I said, giggling. "THIS is certainly a little risqué for this time period!"

Regardless, I slipped it on and was happy that it fit perfectly. I put my dress on over it, not bothering with my corset, chemise, and drawers today. After I slipped on the sea blue dress and got my stockings and boots on, I heard a knock on my door. I had a feeling of who it would be, and I grinned.

"Come in!" I said brightly.

The door opened, and instead of Sebastian, it was actually Angela. I felt my expression become sad for a moment, then I smiled at her. "Good morning, dearie! How are you?"

She smiled at me politely, bringing in a breakfast tray. "Very well, thank you for asking," she said. She brought the cart next to me and lifted the tray lid to reveal crepes with strawberries and bananas. I smiled, blushing slightly.

_Sebastian . . . you sweetheart_, I thought to myself.

"Thank you, Angela. Would you care to join me? I never did like eating alone, and there's enough here for two," I said politely, gesturing to the spare chair.

She smiled brightly at me and took the offered chair. "Thank you my la-, I mean, Christina," she said, chuckling a little at her almost-mistake. "This is the least I could do to repay the kindness you showed me yesterday. I'm still curious as to how you healed me, but I won't pry," she added, taking her fork and eating a bite of the crepes.

I gave her a secretive smile. "It's okay, Ang. Just . . . use your imagination. That's always more fun than the truth anyways," I said, chuckling.

We ate in a companionable silence, and when we finished, Sebastian came up to my room, carrying a basket. His eyes widened then narrowed when he saw Angela was with me, but then he quickly smiled at me.

"Good morning, my lady," he said. "I trust you enjoyed the crepes I made you?" His eyes smirked at me, and mentally he added, _And I trust you found your bathing suit to your liking, my dark angel~?_

I bit back a giggle and smiled at him. "Yes, very much so. You know that I love whatever you make for me, Sebastian." _A__nd yes, I love it! I'm actually wearing it right now, you naughty demon! *giggle* You just HAD to pick the most risqué one that you could find, didn't you?_

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling mischieviously. "Indeed, yes. You've told me so many times, my dear lady," he responded. _And how could I not, my dark angel? It would make you look, as some of your songs put it, 'super sexy'~ . . ._

I fought back a bright blush and chuckled. "Yes, I know. But I couldn't resist another opportunity to tell you again."

He smiled. "Yes, I figured as much," he said. He then looked at Angela, plastering a fake smile on his face. "I trust that my lady was not too overbearing on you, Angela?"

The woman simply smiled and said, "Of course not. She was absolutely wonderful, and very kind."

I laughed and stood, striking a pose. "Yeah, that's me. Super nice, super awesome, and super modest, wouldn't you say~?" I giggle-snorted a little and gave Angela a playful grin.

She laughed, and Sebastian smirked. I looked at him, then the basket, and jumped up and down in excitement. "Are we heading out to go swimming now?!"

When he nodded, I whooped and grabbed his and Angela's hands, dragging them out the door. "Let's go let's go let's GO!" I laughed.

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(( A/N: I am so sorry that I haven't updated in so long, guys. I felt so bad that I made this chapter extra long ^w^ I might only update once or twice a month, since I also have another story that I need to think about, too. Even tho that one is pretty much on hiatus until I can think up a good chapter for it, heh (^_^')

Anyhow, I mainly updated because of one review done by a reader who was very tired and high offa Nutella *been there, done that XD* and it was just so sweet and wonderful for me to read, I just HAD to update. ^w^ So, keep the reviews coming, y'all! They make me update faster, and they make meh happeh! *hugs you all* ))


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

When we got to the lake, those of us who were going to swim went into the various changing carts to get into our bathing suits. Since I had mine on underneath my dress, all I had to do was take it off. Mey-Rin and I changed in one cart, while the boys changed in the other. Mey-Rin's jaw dropped when she saw my swimsuit, and I laughed.

"A-are you REALLY gonna wear that out THERE, Miss Christina?!" she asked incredulously. I noticed that her nose was bleeding a bit, and I chuckled inwardly at her perverted mind.

"Yes, Mey-Rin, I AM," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "I actually like this very much; I'll have to thank Sebastian for buying it for me."

Her eyebrows rose when I mentioned that Sebastian had bought it for me, but she said nothing. Truth be told, this swimsuit wasn't so different from the one I had back home. It was a one-piece, and had a halter neckline that only barely showed what little cleavage I had. It had a low hemline in the back, and a skirt that went to my mid-thigh. It was black with dark fuschia sailor-like stripes, and I had to admit, it made me look pretty good.

"Aren't you comin' in too, Mey-Rin? Miss Christina?" called Finny happily from the lake.

She poked her head out, self-conscious about her own bathing suit. "No, I can't go out there! It's too embarrassin' . . ."

I rolled my eyes and pushed her out, following closely behind her. "Oh, lighten up, dearie," I said, tying my hair up in a high ponytail. "We're here to have fun, so let's have fun!"

I looked at the boys' expressions and erupted into laughter. The way Bard was staring at Mey-Rin made me wonder if he had the beginnings of a boner going on. Finny looked at us like we were goddesses or something, and Tanaka had a light blush on his little chibi cheeks.

I glanced over at where Sebastian and Ciel were, and bit back more hysterical laughter. Ciel's mouth was open in shock, his face a bright red. His gaze ghosted over me, and he looked at me like I was crazy. Sebastian on the other hand . . . .

_I knew it,_ he said to me telepathically. _That DOES make you look 'super sexy,' my dark angel~ . . . . Expect me to stay longer with you tonight._

I shivered slightly under his glowing molten red gaze, grinning deviously. I gave him a wink, then turned and ran right into the water.

"Woohoo!" I yelled before diving under. The water always made me so happy, and I drifted under the surface peacefully. However, after a few moments, I felt myself be pulled up. I spluttered a bit, then my gaze rested on a very concerned Finny.

"Are you alright, Christina?!" he said. "You were under there for five minutes straight!"

I blinked in surprise. "Really? Huh, it only felt like two . . . ," I said, trailing off. I smiled at him and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't you worry 'bout me, alright? I can hold my breath for awhile. But I sometimes lose track of time, heh . . . It's actually a good thing you pulled me up; I was close to falling asleep down there." I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

I spotted Angela on the shore, and waved to her. Then, I got out and stood next to her, wringing my hair out in the sand.

"Why aren't you swimming, Ang?" I asked, wrapping a towel around myself.

"Oh, I don't swim," she said, smiling up at me. "But you seem to be very good at it."

I blushed a bit and waved her compliment off. "Aw, you flatter me!" I said, chuckling. "My Uncle Nate is even better; that guy can swim hardcore. He swims in the ocean when it's close to winter, the maniac! I swear, he's going to get hypothermia one of these days."

I sat next to her and opened the basket that had our lunch inside. I offered a sandwich to Angela. "Here, you should eat, Ang. You need some meat on those lovely bones of yours," I said, nomming on the large one that Sebastian had made specifically for me.

She took it and smiled. "Are you sure it's alright for me to share your lunch?" she asked.

The trio in the water came out and walked over to us. Apparently they overhear her query, since they all said it was perfectly fine. They dug into the food themselves, and I took a sandwich and stood, bringing it over to Ciel.

"Here ya go, hon," I said. "You need to eat; a growing boy needs his vitamins and minerals, after all." I chuckled.

He rolled his eyes and took the sandwich. It was then that I realized that Sebastian wasn't anywhere to be found. "Hey, where'd Sebastian go?"

Ciel swallowed the last bite of the sandwich and cleared his throat. "I sent him to go get the necessary evidence to prove that the demon hound is nothing more than a common mongrel."

I smiled and chuckled quietly, looking out over the lake. Soon, though, I heard shouts coming from the road.

"We got 'im! They caught the bad dog! They got James' dog! Hurry, the punishment is about to begin!"

I glanced up and saw some townspeople running, carrying various gardening tools and the like. I looked at Ciel and gave a slight nod. "Let's go."

~ Time Lapse - at the "punishment area" ~

We ran up to the so-called "punishment area," and I shook with fury. They had the poor dog chained to the cobblestone wall, the other dogs being held back by their owners. All of the villagers were there, heckling the dog and verbally abusing it. Someone yelled that the dog had something in its mouth, and with my eyesight, I _could_ see a bit of something sticking out from its teeth.

One man tried to get it out of the dog's mouth, tugging on it and beating it with a stout stick. Beside me, I could see Finny trembling, staring at the scene with wide eyes. Then, out of nowhere, I caught flashes of memories coming from him: being strapped and held down to a table, a doctor coming towards him with a needle, being locked in a room with only one high window . . .

_Oh . . . my poor, poor Finny . . ._

The man gave up and they released the angry dogs, setting them upon the defenseless dog. Finny and I both trembled, our combined horror materializing in my gut.

"No," I muttered, shaking.

"Stop," murmured Finny. "You can't do this!"

Finally, him and I both snapped, yelling, "JUST LET THE POOR THING GO!"

We ran forward, Finny grabbing a large wooden stake they had out of the ground, and me brandishing my scythe. We both knocked aside the offending dogs (me using the blunt side of the scythe, of course) and standing defensively in front of the wounded animal.

"Leave it alone, dammit!" I cried, feeling tears prick my eyes.

The crowed began to fill with angry murmurs at our interruption, some calling for us to be punished, too. I gritted my teeth and glared at Lord Henry with absolute venom, hissing at him quietly.

The others rushed to us, standing around Finny who had knelt down next to the dog. However, within moments, they had chained Ciel and I to the wall on either side of the injured dog, and they had tied Finny, Mey-Rin, Bard, and Tanaka to one of the wooden stakes. I didn't go down without a fight, though. I had kicked some poor guy in the jaw so hard that I broke it and caused him to cough blood. I smirked at the memory, looking over at the guy and quietly chuckling.

"Not so powerful now, are you?" asked Barrymore smugly.

"Master, I beg you, please show mercy this one time!" pleaded Angela. "These people don't deserve The Punishment!"

Lord Barrymore looked over Ciel and I. "You have a point," he said. "After all, this little Pomeranian is the Queen's guard dog after all; and that husky is no doubt another guard dog of the Crown as well. If they can be made to see reason, maybe I'll let them go." He paused, then took a few steps towards us. "Leave this village immediately and advise Her Majesty to never send her minions near it again."

Ciel smirked and I scoffed. "Yeah right," I said.

"You're so pathetic. You rely on lowly tricks to retain your meager power over these people," said Ciel. "If there's a stubborn dog here, I'd say I'm looking at it."

Lord Barrymore gritted his teeth and said, "If that's your final choice, you can both learn what happens to dogs who disobey me! Get them!"

They released the dogs and they charged at us. I gripped my shackles, readying myself to deal with the incoming pain. However, a streak of black came into view, knocking the dogs away. I smiled.

"Well, 'bout time you got here, Sebastian," I said, smirking at him.

"You cut _that_ close," said Ciel. I could tell he was relieved, though.

"It won't happen again, Young Master, my lady," said Sebastian, straightening and giving us each a sly smile. "Trust me."

"You dare to interfere, dog?" asked Barrymore angrily. "What are you mangy mutts waiting for?" he asked the dogs, who had gotten up. "Kill all three of them!"

They all growled, and I could feel Sebastian's look of disgust. "Shameful," he said. "What coarse, noisy growls they have. One of the reasons why I despise these creatures."

I felt him let out his demonic aura, and the dogs automatically laid down, whimpering and wagging their tails in a submissive manner. Everyone gasped in shock, and I laughed.

"What the hell?! What did you do?!" asked Barrymore, his face a mixture of shock and anger.

"Enough! This pitiful farce ends here, Barrymore," said Ciel.

"Indeed," I said. "You should burn in hell for fooling these townspeople with a fake legend of a phony demon hound! Because of that, so many have died; I would personally like to add you to their number . . . ."

"Christina is right; listen, there is NO demon hound!" yelled Ciel. "It's all a lie. It's just him; an old man obsessed with power, determined to keep it no matter what!"

"What? What evidence do you have?" asked Barrymore, becoming nervous.

"Well, here's this," said Sebastian, taking a dog's skull out. "We found this in your manor. I took it with me to confirm the bite pattern matched the ones found on James."

Lord Henry was starting to look very nervous, and then Sebastian explained how the glowing footprints were only from phosphorous dust sprinkled on a normal dog. By then, the villagers had wizened up. They converged on Barrymore and carried him off.

Sebastian unshackled Ciel and I, then untied the others. Finny and I went over to the poor dying dog who was still chained to the wall. It shuddered, and I rested its head on my lap, petting it gently.

"You were a good boy," said Finny, tearing up. "A good boy . . ."

"Such a good boy . . . Remaining loyal to the end like that," I added in a murmur. The dog looked at me with sad but determined eyes. I gave him a watery smile, tearing up as well. "Go meet your master now . . . I can hear him calling for you . . . ."

With that, the dog closed his eyes, an Finny began to bawl. I felt myself also start to cry, but I remained silent. I heard Sebastian say in a slightly disgruntled tone, "And this is another reason why I hate dogs . . ."

Finny and I took the dog's body and found a pleasant patch of ground to bury him. Finny dug the hole with his bare hands while I wrapped the dog carefully in one of James' blankets, which I'd, uh, "borrowed" from his old house on the way to the burial site. I tied the blanket and nestled him into the hole Finny had dug. We replaced the dirt, and marked the spot with a large stone. Then, I stood and sang a short Irish lament in Gaelic, one that was about dealing with death. Finny held my hand as silent tears went down his dirty face.

We went back to the manor, Finny carrying me when he noticed how tired I was getting. He set me down at the front door, and Sebastian opened it. He looked at me tenderly, taking in my slightly dirt-covered appearance.

"I take it that you took care of the matter?" he asked gently, taking my hand and bringing me inside.

I nodded, looking at the floor. I sighed, then looked up at him. "Sebastian . . . could you run me a bath, please? I'm . . . so tired. And I need to relax. Not to mention how dirty I must look."

He gave me a small smile and lead me upstairs to my room. He helped me undress, then brought me into my bathroom when I was left in my chemise and drawers. He filled the tub with very warm water, almost borderline hot, and I stripped myself completely. I was too exhausted to care about propriety, and honestly, he was going to see me completely naked at some point anyways.

I sank into the water, hissing a bit as it loosened up my tense muscles. I sighed in pleasure, sinking even lower.

"This feels wonderful~ . . . Man, I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed," I said, closing my eyes. I soon felt Sebastian's hands working in my hair, lathering it up with shampoo that smelled like roses.

"You definitely look quite relaxed, my dear," he said. His voiced sounded strained, and I sat up a bit, turning myself halfway to look at him.

"Something wrong, hon?" I asked, furrowing my brow. "You seem . . . tense."

And in truth, he looked it, too. His hands looked like he was trying to break the side of the tub, and his jaw was tight. "Not at all, my dark angel," he said. "It's just, ah . . . when you stripped earlier . . ."

He trailed off, and I could've sworn I saw a faint shade of pink in his cheeks. I felt my face betray my surprise, and he looked away. I then realized, and grinned a bit devilishly.

"Darling~ . . . I'm going to be blunt," I said sweetly, turning his head to he was looking at me. "Are you turned on?"

He blinked in surprise, and the pink in his cheeks grew a bit more prominent. "Well . . . ," he started. After a moment's pause, he sighed, closing his eyes. He then opened them, and they were molten red. "Yes. Unbearably so."

"Hmm," I said, thinking very hard. I bit my lip, then said, "I'm going to think for a bit. Could you finish my hair while I do so?"

He nodded, and I turned back around. I grabbed a washcloth and began to scrub myself clean as he went back to work on my hair, rinsing it out, shampooing it again, and then rinsing it out once more. All the while, I thought.

_Surely, it wouldn't be . . . **that bad** to . . . indulge a little, right? I've wanted to for awhile . . . But, what would he say? And if he said yes, would he be able to control his demon self? And if he doesn't, will **I** be able to control it? . . . . No. I can't worry about that. Besides, the dangers that would go along with indulging don't apply to me; I haven't even started my woman thing, so that won't be a danger . . . . _

I sighed, then wrung out my hair, letting the water out. I stood, wrapping a towel around myself. Then, I stepped out of the tub, turning to face Sebastian. I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"Sebastian . . . ," I trailed off, then brought him down for a soft kiss. "My darling Mephistopheles . . . I . . . I've been thinking, and . . . *sigh* I . . . I want you to officially make me your mate, if you want to . . . ."

I knew I was blushing so bright that it put even the most red of roses to shame, and I looked down, biting my lip in fear of his answer. I felt him take a shuddering breath.

"Christina . . . Are you certain?" he asked, sounding sincere. I nodded, still looking down. But he would have none of that, it seemed. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face to look at him fully. Though his eyes glowed, they were filled with tenderness, and . . . dare I say it, love, too.

"I want to hear you say it, my dark angel," he breathed, kissing me briefly. His lips lingered against mine, and I shivered.

"Y-yes . . . I'm sure," I murmured.

He smiled brightly, and I couldn't help but smile as well. With that said, he picked me up bridal style, and took me back to my room.

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( A/N: I AM SO SORRYYYYYYYYY TTATT I haven't updated in so long and I feel like such a tool and oh my glob I'M SORRY TTATT I just lost the inspiration to finish this chappie, and I let it sit for so long, and I'm srsly sorry. But, I finally finished it! Please dun be mad at meh too much ;_;

And yes, finally, we be gettin' to LE SMUT AND LEMONS. I know y'all have been anxious for it, since I've made many allusions to how they've been getting closer and closer as they spend more time together, and I figured that now would be a good time to have the first lemon.

So, THIS TIME! I swear, I will update A LOT faster. I hate waiting for the smut scenes for too long on fics, and it makes meh just nope. So, keep your eyes out for the next update!

~vampireXgirl13X )


	29. Chapter 29

( A/A: **WARNING!** SMUT AHEAD. I know y'all have been waiting for it, and here you go. And another warning: 'tis quite explicit, may get a little kinky, and yeah . . . . Now, without further ado, enjoy~! ^_^ )

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Chapter 29

Sebastian carried me into my room, then placed me on my bed. I nestled into the sheets, keeping the towel around me. He took off his coat, vest, tie, and shoes before laying down next to me.

I knew my face was quite red still. Sebastian stroked my jawline, making me shiver. "Are you still quite certain you want to do this, Christina?" he asked.

I nodded again. "Y-yes," I answered. "Truth be told, the thought has been swimming in my head for awhile . . . I know I say this almost jokingly at times, but . . . I _really_ do love you, you know . . ."

I trailed off, unable to look him in the eyes. He was silent for a moment. "Christina . . . what does love feel like?"

I looked up at him in surprise. "Do demons not know what it is to love . . . ?"

He nodded, and I smiled tenderly at him. "Well, I guess that best way to describe it is . . . Whenever you're near the person, you feel like you're flying, like your heart is just fluttering like a hummingbird in your chest. You feel happy for no other reason aside from just seeing their face, or hearing their voice. You want to protect them, and make them happy. If they are hurt, you cry. If they smile, you feel joy."

"It feels so wonderful that it makes your heart burst," I said in conclusion. "It's like a pull of some sort, or like two pieces of a puzzle. It just feels . . . right."

He pondered that, then smiled slightly. "Well, in that case . . . I believe I love you as well," he said, hugging me tighter.

Hearing him say that made me turn even more red, aside from bringing tears of joy to my eyes. I felt them spill over and I smiled brightly at him, running a finger across his collarbone. He grinned back and wiped my face before pulling me into a kiss.

It started off innocent, but it soon turned more heated. He traced my lips with his tongue, making me moan and open my mouth slightly. He slipped his tongue inside, brushing it against my own. I drew in a sharp breath, bringing my hands to his hair as I followed where his tongue went.

He moved his hands down my arms then to my waist, gripping it tightly. I pulled away from his lips on a gasp, needing air. His lips moved down to my neck, nipping my skin gently.

"A-ah~ . . . T-tease," I breathed, trailing my nails down his lean back. His muscles tightened a little under my touch as he let out a sound that was a mix between a groan and a chuckle.

"_You_ are the tease," he said, bringing his hands up to caress and squeeze my covered breasts. "Tempting me so much it damn near drives me mad with hunger for you . . ."

I whimpered under his touch, arching into his hands in a silent plea for him to touch me more. I could feel my eyes shift to their deep, bright fuschia color as I clawed at his back. He shuddered and raised his head to look me in the eyes, his own a bright fiery crimson.

"Last chance . . . If you don't stop me now, I won't be able to stop later," he said breathlessly.

My eye twitched in irritation, and I flipped us over so he was below me. I straddled his waist and pinned his hands on either side of his head. He looked up at me with an expression of both shock and lust.

"Sebastian Mephistopheles Michaelis, so help me, if you DO NOT fuck me this instant, I will make it so you will never be able to fuck again," I muttered darkly, letting my impatience get the best of me.

His eyes flashed dangerously bright and he growled low in his throat. "Alright, then~ . . ."

In an instant, I was below him once more as he pinned me down with my hands above my head. He held them there with one hand as the other pulled the towel off and out from under me. Wasting no time, he brought the free hand to my right breast, squeezing and kneading it almost painfully. I bit my lip and whimpered, wriggling in his grasp. He rolled the nipple in between his finger, then lowered his lips to kiss it gently. I gasped and arched my back.

"Me-Mephisto- . . . -pheles~ . . ."

I felt him smirk on my skin, then he took the hard bud into his mouth, licking around it deliciously before sucking on it like a newborn would to its mother. At that moment, for a split second, the thought of having any child of _his_ giving me the same treatment in the later future filled me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Then that feeling went away to make room for a more . . . primal one.

I tugged against his grasp on my hands. "L-let me touch you, too . . ."

He chuckled and took his mouth from my nipple, smirking up at me devilishly. "Not yet~."

I pouted down at him for a moment, then mewled when he brought his mouth to my other nipple, giving it the same treatment as the other. I writhed beneath him slightly, feeling the wetness begin to form between my legs. I began to purr, and the air in the room began to swirl a bit.

He looked up at me in vague amusement. "Are you making the air shift?" he asked, his eyes alight with equal parts of lust and mirth.

I scowled a bit and looked away in embarrassment. ". . . not my fault . . ."

He chuckled and released my hands. I saw my chance and flipped us over once more. I grinned down at him. "My turn~ . . ."

I brought my lips to his neck, kissing him gently at first, then nipping at his skin. He drew in a sharp breath and shivered. "Careful, my dark angel," he muttered in warning. "To bite a demon is to claim them as a mate . . . ."

I rolled my eyes and raised my head just enough so that our noses were touching. "Love, do you really think I care if I mark you? You are mine, and I am yours. I thought we'd established that already, silly," I said, smirking a bit. Then, I smiled softly at him.

"And after all, that is pretty much what I want you to do: mark me as yours. Is it not fair that I do the same to you?"

He chuckled quietly at my reasoning, but gave me a look of pride. "You become more intelligent and surprising each day, my dark angel," he muttered, stroking my hair.

I grinned and gave him a chaste kiss before trailing my lips back to his neck. Then, I let my teeth elongate (the feeling of which I was DEFINITELY going to have to get used to) and lightly brushed them against his neck. He groaned and held me tightly to him, and by doing so let me feel just how aroused he was through his pants. I giggled, then carefully bit him.

My eyes flew open at the taste of his blood, and at the odd sensation singeing through me. He tasted sweet; too sweet to be normal. But the taste wasn't unpleasant, just a bit shocking. And as I bit him, my lips tingled and my heart beat faster. I was vaguely aware of him also biting into my neck, but when he did, a dark light clouded my vision.

I could see every soul he'd ever eaten, feel everything he felt, and to be honest, it was as if I _became_ him. I subconsciously fought against the feeling, then I heard his voice in my mind.

_Do not fight it, my dear,_ he said. _THIS is what marking is . . . . _

I relaxed a bit, and let the feeling overwhelm me. Just when it became too unbearable, it stopped. I wrenched my teeth from his neck, panting heavily. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and watched as his neck healed up after he released his hold on my own. As the bite healed, I saw a mark begin to take its place. I watched it curiously as it began to grow and form, and gasped at the end result.

The mark was a 13-point star within a circle, with a blooming rose in the center. I felt my own neck heal and Sebastian chuckled.

"You make an interesting Mark, my dear," he said, tracing the matching one on my neck. I looked into his eyes and smiled sheepishly.

"I think it's pretty," I said, sitting up and tracing his abs.

He shivered under my touch and grinned. "Indeed it is . . . ."

I scooched down until I was practically at the edge of the bed. "Okay, you _do_ realize how unfair it is that I'm the only one naked, right?" I asked playfully.

He grinned wider, the color in his eyes spiking for a split second. "How right you are . . ."

I laughed and proceeded to take his pants off, followed by his undergarments. As I beheld his naked form, I was awestruck.

". . . Wow," I said in unabashed amazement. I chuckled, letting propriety fly out the window and down the street. "Well damn . . . I think I just had a mental orgasm . . . ."

Sebastian covered his mouth to keep from laughing too loud. He shook with near silent laughter, a few sounds making it past his lips. I blew a rasberry at him and climbed up his body back to my original position, leaning down so my mouth was at his ear.

"Darling, as sexy and beautiful as your laugh is," I whispered, "I am seriously dying with need over here . . ."

He chuckled one last time, placing a hand on my cheek to lift my face so he could look at me. "What do you want me to do, my dark angel?" he asked in a whisper.

I bit my lip and looked to the side, blushing nervously. "W-well . . . I, uhm . . ."

He stroked my cheek, and I could tell he was smiling. "Ah . . . so innocent, yet so corrupt at the same time . . . ."

He flipped us over so he was on top, giving me a tender half-grin. "Let me see what you like, hm?"

I shivered a bit at his words, then watched him as he slinked down my body, trailing kisses from my neck to my chest, letting his lips linger over my thudding heart, and then down my stomach. When he got to my lower stomach, I tensed up a bit. He massaged my hips in a reassuring manner, and I loosened up once more. His tongue flicked out over the top of my shaven mound, and he let out a soft growl.

"How do you keep it smooth?" he asked, his fingers drifting over my thighs.

I shivered once more and let out a shuddering breath. "I-it's a trick that I-I've used for s-some time: b-burn it off. S-same with my legs a-and everywhere else, t-too . . ." I cursed my stuttering voice, which was a result from both my embarrassment and excitement.

"Does that not hurt?" he asked incredulously, glancing up at me.

I shook my head. "N-no, n-not the way I d-do it . . ."

He shook his head in amazement, his black hair tickling my thighs. "You never cease to amaze me . . ."

He then finally spread my legs a bit more and looked at the most secret part of me, which was more than likely dripping with need. His glowing eyes hazed over for a second, and he closed them, inhaling my scent. I blushed in embarrassment and covered my face.

"Mephistopheles . . ." I groaned. "Dooooon't . . . it's embarrassing . . . ."

I could practically hear him grin. "Don't hide your face, my dark angel," he said tenderly. "It's far too beautiful to cover up . . ."

I slowly lowered my hands, but kept my eyes closed. His breath tickled my skin as he let out a quick laugh. "So precious . . ."

Then, his lips were on my skin once more. They went back to my mound, then trailed lower. I clenched my hands and tensed up; once more, his hands gently massaged my hips in a reassuring manner, and I relaxed a bit. I instinctively spread my legs a bit wider as he went even lower, my body craving his touch.

Finally, he let his tongue lightly run over my clit, and I let out a long gasp. "O-oh~ . . ."

He licked over it again, harder this time, and my hands went to his hair in an attempt to keep him there. I panted slightly as he continued licking my clit. I felt myself get even more wet, and I whimpered.

"M-Mephistopheles . . . lower . . . pleeease . . ."

His grip tightened on my hips and he shivered before acquiescing to my request, going so far as to even slip his tongue inside me.

My back arched and I moaned, pulling him closer to me by his hair and pulling it roughly. "F-fuuu~ . . . ! Fucking god~ . . . ."

He growled low in his throat and delved his tongue deeper, wiggling it around and hitting sweet spots that I had no idea I even had. I mewled and writhed, a thin coat of sweat coating my body. He then took his tongue out and flicked his tongue over my clit once more.

"Your purity is driving me mad," he muttered, his voice a low growl. "I'll enjoy corrupting it . . . ."

I shivered and looked down at him for the first time since he'd started to tongue me; more of his demon side was showing, for his eyes had slanted upwards a bit and were now lined in black, ending in swirls at the outer corners of his eyes.

"Do it," I panted. "I love you too much to have you not do it . . . ."

I pulled him up and kissed him deeply; in so doing, I felt that his fangs had elongated again. He moved against me, his dick rubbing my lower stomach. I purred, and flipped us over, trailing my lips down his neck to his chest. I curiously let them trail over his own nipples, and was a bit surprised to feel him shiver. Furrowing my brow, I snaked out my tongue and trailed a path from one to the other, over and over. He shuddered beneath me as his fingers kneaded my back.

I soon got tired of doing this and went lower. When I reached his dick, I blushed even more and felt the color travel up to my ears. He was easily 9 inches long, and maybe 4.25 inches around. I was nervous as to how painful it would be when he was inside me, but I scolded myself mentally.

_No, focus on the moment . . . _

Giving myself a mental shake, I closed my eyes and trailed my tongue up and down the sides, using one hand to hold it still while my other hand lightly massaged his balls. He gasped and growled, and I heard him gripping the sheets tightly. When I brought my tongue up to lick the head, then take it into my mouth and suck on it, he let out a growl-like moan.

"Damn it all~," he breathed.

He lifted my mouth off of him and pulled me back on top of him, gripping my ass. I steadied myself by resting my forearms on either side of his head, panting. He looked at me intensely for a second, then gave me a rough, passionate kiss.

"I'm going to put it in now, Christina," he breathed, trailing one hand down to caress my wet folds. I bit my lip and whimpered, making him smirk. "You are wet enough now . . . I will endeavour to go easy on you at first, but afterwards . . . ," he trailed off, moving his lips to my ear, "I am going to fuck you so well that you will see stars, my darling, sexy dark angel~ . . ."

I moaned at his words, and he placed the head of his dick at my entrance. Biting my lip, I slowly lowered myself onto him. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, trying to adjust to his size as I kept lowering myself. He shook a bit beneath me, no doubt trying to keep his promise of going easy on me at first. When his dick reached my barrier, I gritted my teeth and proceeded to just let myself drop onto his hips, putting him fully inside me.

"Ngh!" I whimpered, a tear going down my face. "Dammit . . ."

I opened my eyes when I felt Sebastian wiping my tears. "Was it that bad?" he asked through his teeth, trying to even out his breathing.

"A-A bit better than I expected," I huffed. "But still a bit p-painful."

After a few more seconds, I felt as though I was adjusted well enough. "You can m-move now, love," I said.

And that was all he needed to hear. He easily flipped us over so he was on top, then began thrusting into me. He at first started slow, to get me used to the feeling. I panted and a few moans slipped past my lips; I gripped the sheets and endeavored to meet his thrusts with my hips.

"Fuck . . . Tight . . ." he panted, looking down at me. I could vaguely see him through my half-lidded eyes, his own glowing such a bright red that they almost faded into white.

"F-faster . . . harder," I panted, putting my arms around him and clawing at his back.

He growled and did as I requested, nearly making the headboard bounce off the wall. I could feel him completely inside me, filling me in ways that I never dreamed of. Then, he thrust against something inside me that made my heart stop.

"There! Again!" I demanded, whimpering and raising my hips faster.

He obeyed me wordlessly, hitting that spot each time he thrust into me. As he did so, he brought one hand down to my clit, rubbing it and toying with it relentlessly.

"M-Mephistopheles~!" I cried out, tossing my head back and exposing my neck.

"Christina~ . . ." he growled, his lips at my neck, biting and sucking on it.

I felt myself getting close to release, and mentally panicked. _Uh uh, no fucking way, I'm making this last!_ I thought to myself.

"Me-Mephistopheles, I w-wanted to -ah~!- t-try something . . ." I panted.

He lifted his head and slowed his thrusting, looking at me with a mischievious curiosity that made me grin. "O-oh? Pray tell . . ."

I felt myself get even more red and I looked away and said, "L-let me get up first . . ."

I felt his confusion, but he did as he as told. I mourned the momentary loss of him inside me, but I got up and faced the headboard, getting on my hands and knees. I could feel the embarrassment radiating off of me just as well as I could feel the pleasant surprise radiating off of him.

"I-I want to try this p-position . . ." I mumbled.

He chuckled lustfully and teased me, rubbing the head of his dick at my entrance. "And what does my kitten say~?" he asked, his lips at my ear.

I growled a bit in annoyance, but relented. "Please . . .?"

"Please what~?"

My irritation and hormones got away from me and I pretty much snapped. "God fucking dammit, Mephistopheles! Fine! Please fuck me! Fuck me and tell me what a bad girl I am! Spank me, claw me, I don't care, just please, for the love of the Great Mother . . ."

I could feel his surprise. After a moments silence, he breathed. "Damn . . . To use your words, I think I just had a mental orgasm . . ."

I buried my face into the pillow and groaned. "Shut up . . ."

He then chuckled and kissed the top of my spine. "Oh, son't worry, my dark angel . . . I'll give you what you want . . ."

I lifted my head sharply and looked over my shoulder at him just as he slammed into me. I moaned and nearly swooned at the wonderful feeling. As he repeatedly slammed into me, he began talking.

"And you know, you _have_ been a bad girl on occasion . . ." he breathed. I heard a slight whoosh of air, then he spanked me. Not too hard, but hard enough to leave a pleasant sting. I gasped and whimpered. "That was for flirting with Druitt . . ." SLAP! "That was for nearly scaring me back to Hell for taking on Grell . . ." SLAP! "That was for hiding my pocket watch last week . . ."

And so it went; and each time he'd spank me, he'd thrust harder, hitting my sweet spot each time. The sensations drove me wild, making me forget where I even was. All there was was him, him and how he was making me feel. I got closer and closer to release; he must have sensed this, because he once more brought a hand down to rub and toy with my clit.

"I'm so close, love~!" I whimpered.

"So'm I," he grunted, pounding into me faster and faster. He then brought his nails down my back harshly; they must have grown into talons while I was lost in the haze of feeling, for they cut into my skin slightly.

I arched my back, and after a few more thrusts, I lost it. "ME-ME-MEPHISTOPHELES~!"

As I came, I felt myself change into my full half-demon form, my wings expanding and shuddering. He came milliseconds later, his warmth spreading through me and his claws digging into my back as he gave a hoarse cry of my name. He pounded into me more to ride out both of our orgasms, and my horns struck the headboard. When we were both done, he slipped out of me and rested his head in between the junction of my wings.

He was silent for a moment, then I heard thunder and saw a large flash of lightening. He chuckled breathlessly. "I think we caused a bit of a storm, my dear."

I giggled and sighed as he got up and closed the curtain. "Oh geez . . ." I tried to change back to normal, but my body was too tired. I then gave up on trying and attempted to sit up, but something was stopping me. I paused, then pokerfaced.

"Love . . ." I said.

"Yes?"

". . . My horns are stuck . . ."

". . . . Pfft," he said, his laughter muffled by his hand no doubt.

I ruffled my feathers and smacked him upside the head with my left wing. "Help me get unstuck, please?" I asked. "I don't want to pull too hard and break the headboard . . ."

He chuckled once more and came over to help me. Once I was unstuck, my body had gained back enough strength for me to change back. I attempted to stand, but I ended up slumping back onto the bed.

"Dammit . . . my legs feel like jelly," I said, laying down and getting under the covers.

He smiled smugly and got in beside me, wrapping his arms around me. "I'll love seeing you try to walk in the morning, Christina. That will be a sight. And trying to explain to the Young Master what we were doing."

I paled, then turned my head to look at him. ". . . His room is right behind the bed . . . ," I mumbled. ". . . OH MY GOD."

I covered my face and groaned. "I'm not gonna hear the end of it tomorrow . . ."

He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I'll hear it more than you will, my dear. He'll most likely scold me for not making it so no one could hear us."

I uncovered my face and gave him a stern look. "You're doing that next time," I said.

"Yes, my lady," he said, smirking. His eyes twinkled with genuine happiness, and I found myself unable to stay frustrated at him. I sighed, and gave him a tender smile.

"I love you," I whispered, kissing him gently.

"I love you too," he mumbled into my lips.


End file.
